NORTHERN IRELAND

Plastic Baton Rounds

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to dispose of L5A7 plastic baton rounds; and how many have been retained for future use.

Jane Kennedy: All stocks of L5A7 baton rounds held by the police in Northern Ireland have been disposed of to the Ministry of Defence and none have been retained for future use.

Public Bodies

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those public bodies that are not designated for the purposes of section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Des Browne: Under section 75(3)(a) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has the authority to designate "any department, corporation or body listed in Schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 . . ."
	The most recent list of bodies under Schedule 2 to the 1967 Act totals 237. Of these, 26 have been designated and a further 39 remain under consideration. These are:
	Alcohol Education and Research Council
	Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
	Broadcasting Standards Commission
	Boundary Commission
	Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges
	Civil Aviation Authority
	Committee for Monitoring Agreements on Tobacco Advertising and Sponsorship
	Committee on Standards in Public Life
	Commonwealth Institute
	Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom
	Community Development Foundation
	Consumer Council for Postal Services
	Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils
	Economic and Social Research Council
	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
	Food Standards Agency
	Gas and Electricity Markets Authority
	General Social Care Council
	HM Treasury
	Home Office
	Information Commissioner
	Lord Chancellor's Department
	Medical Research Council
	Ministry of Defence
	National Biological Standards Board (UK)
	National Care Standards Commission
	National Radiological Protection Board
	National Savings (part of the Treasury)
	National Environment Research Council
	Office of the Director General of Fair Trading
	Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
	Pensions Compensation Board
	Post Office Users' Council for Northern Ireland
	Postal Services Commission
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	UK Passport Agency (part of the Home Office)
	United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board
	War Pensions Agency (part of the Department for Work and Pensions)
	War Pensions Committees.
	Of the remainder, 130 have no remit in Northern Ireland. It is not appropriate to designate a further 42 as they have no scope to affect equality in Northern Ireland (for example because their role is purely advisory). These are listed below:
	Bodies with no remit in Northern Ireland
	Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
	Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees
	Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales
	Agricultural Wages Committees
	Apple and Pear Research Council
	Arts Council of England
	Benefits Agency
	Britain-Russia Centre and the British East-West Centre
	British Association for Central and Eastern Europe
	British Museum
	British Potato Council
	British Tourist Authority
	Cabinet Office
	Central Office of Information
	Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers' Associations
	Charity Commission
	Child Support Agency
	Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS)
	Civil Justice Council
	Coal Authority
	Commission for Health Improvement
	Commission for Racial Equality
	Commission for the New Towns (English Partnerships)
	Committee of Investigation for Great Britain
	Competition Commission
	Construction Industry Training Board
	Consumers' Committee for Great Britain under the Agricultural Marketing Act 1958
	Countryside Agency
	Court Service
	Crafts Council
	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
	Crown Estate Office
	Department for Education and Skills
	Department for International Development
	Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions
	Department for Work and Pensions
	Department of Health
	Development Corporations for new towns
	Disability Rights Commission
	Docklands Light Railway
	Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
	Driving Standards Agency
	Education Transfer Council
	Employment Service
	Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
	English Heritage (Historical Buildings and Monuments Commission for England)
	English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
	English Nature
	English Partnerships (Urban Regeneration Agency and Commission for the New Towns)
	English Sports Council
	English Tourist Board
	Environment Agency
	Equal Opportunities Commission
	Fleet Air Arm Museum
	Football Licensing Authority
	Forestry Commission
	Gaming Board for Great Britain
	Gas and Electricity Consumer Council
	Geffrye Museum
	Health and Safety Commission
	Health and Safety Executive
	Higher Education Funding Council for England
	Highways Agency
	Historic Royal Palaces
	HM Prison Service
	Horniman Museum and Gardens
	Horserace Betting Levy Board
	Horticultural Development Council
	Housing Corporation
	Imperial War Museum
	Joint Nature Conservation Committee
	Land Registry
	Legal Services Commission
	Local Government Commission for England
	Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission
	Meat and Livestock Commission
	Milk Development Council
	Museum of London
	Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
	Museums and Galleries Commission
	National Army Museum
	National Consumer Council
	National Employers' Liaison Committee
	National Film and Television School
	National Forest Company
	National Gallery
	National Maritime Museum
	National Museum of Science and Industry
	National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside
	National Portrait Gallery
	Natural History Museum
	Office for National Statistics
	Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England (OFSTED)
	Office of the Rail Regulator
	Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland
	Office of the Secretary of State for Wales
	Office of the Director General of Water Services (OFWAT)
	Oil and Pipelines Agency
	Ordnance Survey
	Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England
	Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland
	Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Wales
	Parole Board
	Police Information Technology Organisation
	Public Record Office
	Rail Passengers' Committees
	Rail Passengers Council
	Regional Development Agencies (other than the London Development Agency)
	Remploy Ltd
	Residuary Bodies
	Royal Air Force Museum
	Royal Armouries Museum
	Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
	Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (now merged with English Heritage)
	Royal Marines Museum
	Royal Naval Museum
	Royal Navy Submarine Museum
	Sir John Soane's Museum
	Strategic Rail Authority
	Tate Gallery
	Teacher Training Agency
	The Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses
	The Corporation of the Trinity House of Deptford Strond
	UK Sports Council
	Urban Development Corporations established for urban development areas wholly in England
	Urban Regeneration Agency (English Partnerships)
	Victoria and Albert Museum
	Wallace Collection
	Westminster Foundation for Democracy
	Youth Justice Board for England and Wales
	Bodies with no scope to affect equality
	Advisory Board on Family Law
	Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes
	Advisory Council on Public Records
	Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board
	British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
	British Film Institute
	British Hallmarking Council
	Building Societies Commission
	Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work
	Consumer Panel
	Design Council
	Electoral Commission
	Food Advisory Committee
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	Gene Therapy Advisory Committee
	Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
	Immigration Services Commissioner
	Investors in People UK
	Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct
	Lord President of the Council's Office
	Medical Practices Committee
	Medical Workforce Standing Advisory Committee
	Millennium Commission
	National Debt Office
	National Lottery Commission
	New Millennium Experience Company Ltd
	Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA)
	Registry of Friendly Societies/Friendly Societies Commission
	Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art
	Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts
	Royal Mint
	Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health
	Sea Fish Industry Authority
	Simpler Trade Procedures Board
	Standing Dental Advisory Committee
	Standing Medical Advisory Committee
	Standing Nurse and Midwifery Advisory Committee
	Standing Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee
	The Great Britain-China Centre
	Treasure Valuation Committee
	United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
	Women's National Commission.
	Under section 75(3)(d) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the Secretary of State can designate "any other person". This is not a finite list and it is not, therefore, possible to list those bodies not designated under 75(3)(d).

Litigation

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have defended in (i) industrial tribunals and (ii) the courts in each year since 1997; how many were concluded in their favour; and what the total cost to his Department of litigation was in each year.

John Reid: The Northern Ireland Office did not defend any industrial tribunal cases in the years concerned.
	The information in respect of court cases is not held in the format requested. However, between 1997 and 2002, 12 cases were defended, four of which were concluded in the Department's favour.
	The return for Agencies is as follows:
	
		
			  Year Cases Defended Concluded in favour of Agency 
		
		
			 Industrial Tribunals   
			 1997 1 1 
			 1998 3 3 
			 1999 1 1 
			 2000 – – 
			 2001 1 1 
			 2002 – – 
			 Courts   
			 1997 13 9 
			 1998 22 20 
			 1999 19 15 
			 2000 30 19 
			 2001 20 10 
			 2002 – –

Police Service

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 9 November 2001, Official Report, column 485W, in what manner the PSNI activity data collection will break down activities of the police; what the objectives and terms of reference for this exercise are; and in what way the results of such analysis will be made public.

Jane Kennedy: The PSNI activity analysis collection will break down activities in accordance with the ACPO National Police Activity Based Costing Model. This model is focused on the District/Basic Command Unit and encompasses the total cost of policing a given geographical area. It includes all of those policing services which are delivered by DCU staff, and includes contributions from Headquarters operational or organisational support units. The six core areas of policing activity to be analysed are crime, road traffic, public order, public reassurance, call management and prisoner handling. Each of these core areas are broken down into Incidents (and by association incident related activities) and Non-incident Related Activities. For example, Crime is broken down into Violence (sexual offences, robbery, violence against the person), Burglary (dwelling, other), Theft of or from a Motor Vehicle, Theft other (shoplifting), Criminal Damage, Drugs (Class A), Other Crime and Crime Desk/Telephone Investigation Bureau.
	The objectives of the Activity Analysis/Activity Based Costing Project are as follows:
	To provide complete, accurate and timely activity information through user friendly, on-line access to relevant systems;
	To make transparent the full cost of providing policing services, including by way of activity based costing;
	To assist in the delegation of operational and financial decision-making to the lowest level consistent with strategic direction and control;
	To link Activity management with Corporate Planning, Performance, Best Value and Inspection and Review.
	The main outputs from the Project will be as follows:
	Standard classification of policing activities linked to organisational objectives;
	Develop and conduct activity analysis programmes;
	Carry out research into other GB Forces' activity based costing and activity sampling systems and make appropriate recommendations;
	Identification of overheads;
	Development of overhead apportionment rules;
	Develop interfaces with other PSNI systems as required;
	Activity based costing extracted from existing computer systems;
	Activity sampling;
	Internal and external benchmarking;
	Trading accounts for Administration Departments;
	Costed Service Level agreements for Administration Departments.
	The analysis will be made public to enable informed decisions to be made about the allocation of scarce resources. Activity analysis will also help inform future funding debates and make explicit how resources are allocated across core police functions.

Police Service

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will break down the number of complaints received by the Police Ombudsman by (a) perceived community origin, (b) gender and (c) other recorded categories of complainant.

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many recipients there are of pensions paid (a) for their service and (b) by virtue of their husband's service in the Royal Irish constabulary including Auxiliaries.

Jane Kennedy: There are (a) no recipients of pensions paid to former officers of the Royal Irish Constabulary including Auxiliaries and (b) four recipients of pensions paid to widows by virtue of their husband's service.

Police Service

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prosecutions are under way against members of the Police Service in respect of activity carried out by them in the course of their duties in the period up to May 1998.

Jane Kennedy: The Chief Constable has advised that there is no record of any prosecutions underway against members of the Police Service in respect of activity carried out by them in the course of their duties from 1996 to May 1998. Records prior to 1996 are held in a form which is not readily retrieved.

Police Service

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) full-time and (b) reserve members of the Police Service there were in each police division in Northern Ireland in each year since 1996.

Jane Kennedy: The numbers of regular and full-time reserve members of the Police Service in each police division in Northern Ireland in each year from 1996 to 2001, are as follows:
	
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001  
			  Reg Ftr Reg Ftr Reg Ftr Reg Ftr Reg Ftr Reg Ftr 
		
		
			 A 557 256 536 237 536 227 522 235 514 219 480 198 
			 B 447 374 455 344 445 378 427 350 413 342 412 327 
			 D 721 356 713 327 727 326 720 317 712 306 721 286 
			 E 404 374 401 364 414 372 412 355 406 335 377 310 
			 G 290 165 295 156 300 154 307 153 313 149 296 139 
			 H 368 230 373 203 352 210 343 205 324 188 322 172 
			 J 266 146 267 131 277 133 284 129 299 135 285 123 
			 K 241 141 263 139 239 140 227 140 228 125 231 114 
			 L 434 238 428 211 413 217 406 204 412 192 396 174 
			 N 369 215 387 197 380 203 358 192 351 176 352 169 
			 O 295 167 307 158 292 163 301 163 291 155 287 137 
			 P 266 109 270 106 278 109 291 101 290 96 275 85 
			 Total 465 277 469 257 465 263 459 254 455 241 443 223 
			  8 1 5 3 3 2 8 4 3 8 4 4 
		
	
	The numbers of regular and full-time reserve members of the Police Service in Northern Ireland in 2002, following the replacement of Divisions with District Commond Units (DCUs), are as follows:
	
		
			  2002 (as at 15 March 2002) 
			  Ftr Reg 
		
		
			 N BMEN DCU 108 23 
			 N BMON DCU 60 14 
			 N COLE DCU 109 43 
			 N FERM DCU 188 82 
			 N FOYL DCU 223 83 
			 N LARN DCU 68 22 
			 N LIMA DCU 63 28 
			 N MFEL DCU 88 54 
			 N MOYL DCU 24 11 
			 N OMAG DCU 118 41 
			 N STRB DCU 100 56 
			 S ARDS DCU 121 51 
			 S ARMA DCU 124 62 
			 S BANB DCU 80 29 
			 S COOK DCU 84 37 
			 S CRAI DCU 165 71 
			 S DAST DCU 166 72 
			 S DOWN DCU 153 85 
			 S NEWM DCU 174 87 
			 U ANTR DCU 99 54 
			 U BELE DCU 196 126 
			 U BELN DCU 334 109 
			 U BELS DCU 276 142 
			 U BELW DCU 254 205 
			 U CFER DCU 70 52 
			 U CREA DCU 104 72 
			 U LISB DCU 197 112 
			 U NABB DCU 129 26 
			 U NDOW DCU 139 88 
			  
			 Total 4,014 1,925

Police Service

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people identified as (a) Protestant and (b) Roman Catholic who have applied to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (i) were found to be suitably qualified and (ii) were not offered a position within the Police Service.

Jane Kennedy: In the first Police Service of Northern Ireland recruitment competition, 419 candidates identified as non-Catholic and 173 candidates identified as Catholic were found to be suitably qualified.
	To date 245 candidates from the non-Catholic group have been informed that the Chief Constable cannot offer them an appointment, in accordance with Section 46 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. No candidate in the Catholic group has to date been refused an appointment.

Police Service

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what expenditure has been made on the refurbishment of the police Land Rover fleet in Northern Ireland in each year since 1995; what tendering processes were held for the award of the contracts; and what the benefit to the public purse will be of using low cost substitute Land Rover components in the refurbishment work.

Jane Kennedy: The Chief Constable has advised me that expenditure made on the refurbishment of the Police Landrover fleet since 1995 is as follows:
	
		
			  Business Year Expenditure & Number Cost (New) Saving 
		
		
			 1995–96–97–98 0 0 0 
			 1998–99 £1250k (50 x vehicles) £2,250k £1,000k 
			 1,999–00 £1,300k (50 x vehicles) £2,350k £1,050k 
			 2,000–01 £980k (35 x vehicles) £1,645k £665k 
			 2001–021 £510k (15 x vehicles) £900k £390k 
			 Totals £4,040k (150 x vehicles) £7145k £3105k 
		
	
	1 Phase 3 TD5 Land Rover approved power-train conversion.
	The refurbishment engineering programme was originally tendered through the Government Puchasing Agency and ratified via the Support Services Committee of the Police Authority.
	Later programmes have been tendered through the Government Purchasing Unit and ratified via Police Transport Policy Committee.
	The refurbishment programme includes the utilisation of discounted and approved Land Rover parts, which include a warranty period of 12 months. It is not possible to quantify separately the savings arising from the use of these component parts.

Civil Servants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he expects the 2002 target for ethnic minority representation in the Home Civil Service Senior Civil Service Group will be met on time.

John Reid: In its 2001 Departmental Report, the Northern Ireland Office declared its continued commitment to progressing Home Civil Service (HCS) targets for increased ethnic minority representation in the Senior Civil Service. The aim is to have 5 per cent. ethnic minority representation by the end of 2002.
	Currently, 4.3 per cent. of the Home Civil Service Senior Civil Service Group are from an ethnic minority background.

Crime

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the strategy and quantified targets for tackling crime were published by March 2001.

Jane Kennedy: Quantified targets for tackling crime were set out in the Annual Policing Plan 2001–02 published by the Police Authority for Northern Ireland in April 2001. The RUC Crime Strategy published in April 2000 remained valid for the year commencing April 2001.

Crime

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many press officers there were in his Department on (a) 1 May 1997 and (b) the latest available date.

John Reid: Information is not held in the format requested.
	Statistics relating to the number of Information Officers in the Northern Ireland Office is as follows:
	(a) at 1 April 1997 there were 11 Information Officers; and
	(b) at 27 March 2002 there were 13 Information Officers.

Secondments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the names of staff who have been seconded to his Department from the private sector since May 1997, indicating (a) the names of the organisation from which each has come, (b) their responsibilities and Civil Service grades within his Department, (c) the organisation responsible for paying their salary and (d) the start and end dates of their secondment.

John Reid: No staff have been seconded to this Department from the private sector since May 1997.

Fraud

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate his Department has made of the cost to its budget since 1 May 1997 of fraud; and if he will make a statement.

John Reid: The cost of fraud to the Northern Ireland Office budget, since 1 May 1997, is £51,728.65, however the Department has recovered £11,187.09 of this amount.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Departmental Functions

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the functions of his Department that have been (a) market tested and (b) outsourced in each of the last five years, specifying the (i) money saving and (ii) percentage saving in each case.

Alan Whitehead: (a) Only those services in part (b) have been market tested in the last five years (b) Internal Press Cuttings Distributions (i) 23.5k (ii) 100 per cent. DTLR Mailing Database (i) 10.0k (ii) 75 per cent. Design Drawing and Print Services (i) 443.8k (ii) 47 per cent.

Justices of the Peace

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many members of staff at his Department are justices of the peace; and if he has a strategy for his Department to encourage members of staff to become justices of the peace.

Alan Whitehead: The DTLR does not keep a centralised record of those members of staff who are justices of the peace.
	My department supports members of staff who wish to become justices of the peace and provides special leave with pay in order to assist staff in their role.

Equal Opportunities

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since August 1997 to the Latest date for which information is available.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer Tuesday 26 March 2002
	In DTLR, two statistical series incorporating the specified variables have been commissioned in the time period in question. These are two household surveys, the survey of English Housing and the National Travel Survey. All four variables have been collected on the Survey of English Housing since before 1997 and ethnicity was included in the National Travel Survey in 2001.

Part-time Employees

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are part-time employees.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office on 10 April 2002 [Ref 47193].

Railtrack

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions pursuant to his statement of 25 March, Official Report, column 586, if he will give the reasons underlying his statement that a company limited by guarantee would be a good successor body to Railtrack plc in administration;

David Jamieson: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 23October 2001, Official Report, columns 195W–197W.

Railtrack

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects the Railtrack Plc administrator to make available a prospectus to prospective bidders.

David Jamieson: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	This is a matter for the Administrator.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the likely outcome of an interim review for Railtrack.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 6 March 2002, Official Report, column 370W.

Sony Display Screens (Swanwick)

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in relation to the Health and Safety report of 15 March into the Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 of the equipment at NERC Swanwick, what he is doing to ensure that all the defects mentioned in the report are rectified and in what time scale; for what reason the Health and Safety Executive relied on information supplied by NATS in relation to the size of the characters on the Sony display screens; and if they will take their own measurements.

David Jamieson: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has asked NATS to set out in writing the action it proposes to take on each of the items raised in the report together with a proposed timetable. HSE will consider what if any further action needs to be taken once it has received those proposals and will continue to monitor the situation.

Sony Display Screens (Swanwick)

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many safety reports have been made by planning and tactical air controllers as a result of confusion of reading alpha numeric data on the Sony screen at NERC Swanwick.

David Jamieson: This is an operational matter for NATS.

Public Service Obligations (Airports)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations his Department has received concerning the imposition of public service obligations on regional airports with London; and what its response to these representations has been.

David Jamieson: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	The Scottish Executive has requested that a Public Service Obligation should be imposed on Inverness-Gatwick air services. The government expects to announce its decision shortly.

Special Purpose Vehicles

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if it is his policy to raise private sector investment in the railways through special purpose vehicles.

David Jamieson: Special purpose vehicles are expected to be an option for securing private sector investment in infrastructure projects. But private sector investment in the railways may also be secured by other means, and special purpose vehicles will not be suitable for all infrastructure projects.

Special Purpose Vehicles

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the proposed transfer of special purpose vehicles to Railtrack's successor after construction.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 728W.

Network Rail

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the state aid rules as they apply to Network Rail;
	(2)  if state aid rules will apply to the standby loans to Network Rail.

David Jamieson: If Network Rail's offer for Railtrack plc's shares is successful any financial support provided to the company by Government would be notified to the European Commission as a potential state aid.

Network Rail

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if Network Rail will be able to replace commercial debt with standby loans from the SRA at a later date.

David Jamieson: No.

Network Rail

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether his Department is statutorily obliged to meet additional costs resulting from an interim review of Railtrack's finances.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 783W.

Network Rail

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions who holds responsibility for deciding whether Network Rail takes over the network.

David Jamieson: It is for Railtrack Group to consider, with its shareholders, the proposal from Network Rail for the purchase of its shares in Railtrack plc. If the proposal is accepted, the Secretary of State would in due course need to consider the exercise of his powers under the change of control provisions in the existing network licence held by Railtrack plc. In addition, the Court would need to order, on an application by my right hon. Friend, that the Railways Administration Order should be discharged. It is for the Administrators to decide how to continue with their process in the light of their responsibilities and the proposal that has been made.

Network Rail

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the funding of Network Rail or another successor to Railtrack for Control Period 3.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 26 March, Official Report, column 956W.

Network Rail

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the directors and putative directors of Network Rail and their previous experience (a) in the railway industry and (b) in business.

David Jamieson: The details of its proposals are a matter for Network Rail.

Channel Tunnel

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he last spoke to his French counterpart about rail freight carriage through the Channel Tunnel.

David Jamieson: Ministers maintain regular contacts with their Friends counterparts on this issue.

Channel Tunnel

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with (a) the EU Transport Commissioner and (b) the French Transport Minister on the indefinite suspension of the Channel Tunnel rail freight facilities; what assessment he has made of the impact on his rail freight target of the indefinite suspension of the Channel Tunnel rail freight facilities; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: My Department, and others, are in regular contact with both the European Commission and the French Government on this matter.
	We will be producing a review of the 10 Year Plan in July this year.

South West Trains

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how the upgrades to the South West Trains routes will be transferred from a special purpose vehicle into operation when they are completed in 2004.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to my answers of 4 February, Official Report, columns 728W and 729W, as well as my right hon. Friend's answer to the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 18 March, Official Report, column 21W.

London Underground

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason the public sector comparator with the London Underground PPP includes the management costs associated with the administration of the private sector contracts.

David Jamieson: The Public Sector Comparator does not include any London Underground management costs associated with managing the private sector PPP contracts. It is London Underground's view that any public sector alternative would incur similar contract management costs in aggregate. As a result, such costs have been excluded from the value for money analysis, because they would not differentiate between the options.

London Underground

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the draft comfort letters that he is intending to issue in respect of the London Underground PPP.

Stephen Byers: I have decided to extend the consultation period for the comfort letters laid before this House on 20 March. This will provide the customary notification period.

Brownfield Developments

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans there are to (a) cut taxes on brownfield developments and (b) introduce incentives to encourage builders away from green fields.

Sally Keeble: Budget 2001 introduced a tax relief for cleaning up contaminated land, 100 per cent. capital allowances for developing flats over shops and a number of VAT reliefs to encourage conversions and the renovation of empty property. From 30 November 2001, land and property transactions worth up to £150,000 in the UK's most deprived communities have also been exempt from stamp duty. The aim of this fiscal package is to encourage and create incentives for the re-development of brownfield land and re-use of empty property, helping to protect greenfield sites.
	Any further changes to taxation policy are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor.

Housing (VAT)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans there are to (a) abolish VAT on the renovation and conversion of existing houses and (b) to introduce VAT on building new houses.

Sally Keeble: Budget 2001 reduced the rate of VAT to 5 per cent. on the renovation of dwellings empty for three years or longer and on residential conversions that result in a change in the number of dwellings. Budget 2001 also introduced an adjustment to the zero rate of VAT to provide relief for the sale of renovated houses that have been empty for 10 years or more.
	Any further changes to VAT policy are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor.

Mobile Phones

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what conclusion he has drawn from the research by TRL on the effect of mobile phones on driver concentration; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	The report confirms advice given in the Highway Code that drivers should never use hand-held phones while driving and that using a hand-free phone is also likely to distract a driver's attention from the road.

Airport Security

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what extra security measures his Department has taken at (a) London City Airport and (b) Gatwick Airport since 11 September 2001.

David Jamieson: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	Following the attacks on 11 September, heightened aviation security measures were introduced at all UK airports, including London City and Gatwick, and for all airlines operating from the UK. Security remains at an enhanced level, with the measures applying equally at all UK airports. We do not discuss the details of our aviation security requirements.

Inquiry Costs

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the cost was of the (a) inquiry into the Clapham Rail Crash on 12 December 1998, (b) Sheen Inquiry into the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster on 6 March 1997, (c) Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry after the collision of 5 October 1999, (d) Marchioness Inquiry, (e) Piper Alpha Inquiry and (f) Southall Rail crash Inquiry.

David Jamieson: The cost of the public inquiries are as follows:
	(a) Clapham Inquiry—figures could only be retrieved at disproportionate cost
	(b) Herald of Free Enterprise Inquiry—figures could only be retrieved at disproportionate cost
	(c) Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry—£7.0 million
	(d) Marchioness Inquiry—£5.1 million
	(e) Piper Alpha Inquiry—a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
	(f) Southall Rail Inquiry—£2.25 million.

Malicious Fires

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many malicious fires and incidents of abandoned vehicles there were in (a) London Borough of Havering and (b) Romford in (i) 1997, (ii) 2000 and (iii) 2001; and what steps he is taking to effectively tackle these problems.

Alan Whitehead: Data on malicious fires are only available at Fire Brigade level. In 1997 the London Fire Brigade reported 6,388 malicious fires, of which 2,971 (47 per cent.) occurred in road vehicles. Provisional figures for 2000, the most recent year for which data are available, show there were 9,419 malicious fires of which 6,098 (65 per cent.) occurred in road vehicles.
	Information obtained form the London Borough of Havering shows that in 2000 the Borough reported 2,995 abandoned vehicles; the number for 2001 was 4,505. No information is available for 1997.
	No information on abandoned vehicles is available for Romford.
	The problem of abandoned cars is one part of a more general problem—the existence of a hard core of more than a million cars in the United Kingdom that are unlicensed and for which it is difficult to trace an owner. Not only are these vehicles at the heart of the problem of abandoned vehicles: they are untaxed, uninsured, have no MOT certificate, and in many cases it is not possible to trace their current owners when they are involved in accidents, parking and motoring offences and wider crime.
	Regulations made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to reduce the notice periods after which local authorities can remove abandoned cars to 24 hours in many cases came into effect on 9 April. Furthermore, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a package of related measures on 10 April which will enable local authorities, the police and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to tackle the problem of abandoned cars more effectively.

Project Sponsorship

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which of his Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.

Nick Raynsford: In line with the Government's commitment in its response to the Sixth Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 will be disclosed in future Departmental Annual Reports.

School Transport (Safety)

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to help local partnerships finance safe transport to school.

Sally Keeble: The Government is providing increased levels of funding through local transport plans to enable authorities, in partnership with transport operators, schools and local people to improve children's safety on the journey to and from school.

Local Government Finance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the per capita aggregate external funding is for the Sedgefield District and Durham county councils for the most recent year for which information is available.

Alan Whitehead: Sedgefield Borough Council and Durham County Council have reported the following figures.
	
		Aggregate External Finance (AEF per capita for Sedgefield Borough Council and Durham County Council (2000–01 Outturn) -- Figures in £000s unless stated
		
			  Durham County Council Sedgefield Borough Council 
		
		
			 Revenue Support Grant 163,866 3,447 
			 Redistributed Non-Domestic Rates 126,543 3,400 
			 Ring-fenced Grants inside AEF 30,375 303 
			 Total AEF 320,784 7,150 
			 Population figures (thousands) 506 89 
			 AEF per capita (£'s) 634 80 
		
	
	Source: 
	Revenue Summary return.
	Notes: 
	AEF is central government support towards total standard spending. It comprises of Revenue Support Grant, Redistributed Non-domestic rates, and certain Ring-fenced grants.

Local Government Finance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the per capita aggregate borrowing permission is to Sedgefield district and Durham county councils in the most recent year for which information is available.

Alan Whitehead: In 2000–01, per capita aggregate borrowing permission to Sedgefield District Council and Durham County Council respectively was £32.27 and £35.40.
	Source: Capital Outturn Return (COR4) for 2000–01. Mid-year population estimate for 2000 (ONS).

Local Government Finance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Goverenment and the Regions what per capita aggregate capital grant is paid to the Sedgefield district and Durham county councils in the most recent year for which information is available.

Alan Whitehead: In 2000–01 the per capita aggregate capital grant from central Government sources, paid to Sedgefield District Council and Durham County Council respectively was £5.34 and £16.15.
	Source: Capital Outturn Return (COR4) for 2000–01. Mid-year population estimate for 2000 (ONS).

Local Government Finance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what Band D council tax is payable by householders in Sedgefield district to their district and county councils.

Alan Whitehead: The average total Band D council tax payable in the area of Sedgefield Borough Council is £1,194. This is made up of:
	£145 for parish and town councils;
	£157 for Sedgefield Borough Council;
	£828 for Durham County Council; and
	£64 for Durham Police Authority.
	The figure of £1,194 per Band D property in Sedgefield is equivalent to £784 per dwelling. The difference is due largely to the fact that almost 90 per cent. of dwellings in the area that are liable to pay council tax are in Bands A, B or C.

Local and Unitary Development Plans

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he plans to publish a report on progress on adoption of area wide local plans and unitary development plans.

Sally Keeble: A report on the progress made by local authorities in England in preparing and reviewing their Local Plans and Unitary development plans will be published in May.

Local and Unitary Development Plans

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to tackle low housing demand and abandonment.

Stephen Byers: Nine areas, where streets of boarded up and abandoned homes have led to a spiral of decline and misery for thousands of local residents, will get the opportunity to work with Government to establish pathfinder projects. Their aim will be to provide lasting solutions for communities blighted by derelict homes through investment and innovation. The lessons learnt can then be applied to other areas.
	Pathfinders will be formed in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, East Lancashire, Oldham and Rochdale, South Yorkshire, Humberside (Hull), Tyneside, North Staffordshire (Stoke), and Birmingham and Sandwell. The size of the pathfinders will be significant ranging from 40,000 to 120,000 properties.
	I am clear that the pathfinder projects will have to make some radical decisions in order to regenerate these areas. It is not sufficient to tackle the housing problem alone. Local authorities must work closely together with their partners—the police, the health authority, the Regional Development Agency, Housing Corporation and private sector—to rejuvenate our towns and cities.
	Low demand and abandoned housing is a major problem. But it also provides a unique opportunity to restructure and rebuild our cities for the twenty first century. We must now seize that opportunity. The Government will work with local people to deliver the change necessary and bring hope to those communities.

Local and Unitary Development Plans

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to publish directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Byers: I have today published directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House and are available on my department's website at: www.railways.dtlr.gov.uk.
	The directions and guidance set the SRA two main objectives: to work with the rail industry to achieve substantial lasting improvements in performance; and to work within its statutory framework to deliver the key targets for rail in our Ten Year Plan. The SRA also has other objectives, especially in relation to: leadership for the rail industry; driving up standards of punctuality, safety and comfort across all franchised services; and a much clearer and focussed approach to franchising.
	A response to the consultation on the draft directions and guidance has been published today and is available on my department's website.

Cullen Report

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions by what date he estimates the recommendations of Lord Cullen's report will be fully implemented.

David Jamieson: Lord Cullen recommended that all his recommendations be fully implemented within three years of the publication of his final report, ie by September 2004.
	The Health and Safety Commission will publish regular reviews of progress, including implementation dates.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff have been employed by her Department in each of the last 10 years.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 19 March (Official Report, column 295W).

Human Rights Act

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many cases have been brought against her Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what has been the cost to public funds to date in (a) legal fees to defend cases and (b) compensation payments.

Kim Howells: Human rights are now integrated in the general law and are rarely the sole basis for a challenge. The department is involved in comparatively little litigation. However, it has been involved to date in three cases where proceedings have been brought which raise issues under the Human Rights Act 1998. It is often difficult to attribute costs specifically to the human rights aspects of cases, so it is not possible to give an aggregate figure for legal costs defending human rights points. The department has not to date made any compensation payment associated with a Human Rights Act case.

Independent Television Commission

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what costs the ITC has incurred in advising her Department on the creation of OFCOM.

Kim Howells: This is a matter for the ITC.

Ofcom

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations her Department has received from the ITC on the issue of preparation for OFCOM; and what form they have taken.

Kim Howells: The ITC has welcomed the proposals to establish OFCOM and has been closely involved, along with the other regulators who will go to make up OFCOM, in the early preparations for creating the new body.

Underspend

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the (a) capital and (b) revenue underspend in her Department is expected to be in the financial year 2001–02.

Kim Howells: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	Estimated outturn figures for 2001–02 will be published in the Budget Report on 17 April.

Ministerial Travel

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times Ministers in her Department have travelled abroad at taxpayers' expense since March 2001; what countries they visited; and what the total cost of each visit was.

Richard Caborn: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	Since 1999 this Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. The 1999 list contained information on all such visits undertaken from 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Details for travel undertaken in the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year.

Appointments

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list all the boards, committees and trustees that (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department are wholly or partly responsible for appointing members to, listing for each one (i) the total membership of each board, committee or trustees, (ii) the procedure for making each appointment, (iii) the remuneration made and (iv) the term of office.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	The bodies for which I am wholly or partly responsible for the appointment of members are set out in the following table. This includes appointments made by other Ministers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on my behalf and appointments made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, or through him, by Her Majesty The Queen, on which I advise. The table also includes bodies where appointments are the responsibility of others, but where I have an approving role. There are also bodies where I am responsible for making some appointments but where I have no role in others. Appointments which fall under the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments follow procedures which meet the requirements of her Code of Practice. For other appointments, the spirit of the Commissioner's Code is encouraged. Appointments to DCMS sponsored bodies are usually for terms of between three and five years.
	
		DCMS Public Appointments
		
			 Sponsored body No. of members Remuneration range—board (per annum unless stated) Remuneration chair (per annum unless stated) Within remit of Commissioner for Public Appointments 
		
		
			 Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection 3  31,800 Yes 
			 Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites 13   Yes 
			 Advisory Council on Libraries 1 7,730 32,010 Yes 
			 Alcohol Education and Research Council 15   Yes 
			 Architectural Heritage Fund 10   No 
			 Arts Council of England 12   Yes 
			 British Broadcasting Corporation 12 14,930–26,250 77,590 Yes 
			 Chair of British Film Institute 1   No 
			 British Library Board 14   Yes 
			 British Museum 25   Yes 
			 British Tourist Authority 6 7,883–8,120 41,930 Yes 
			 Broadcasting Standards Commission 12 16,310–38,530 50,990 Yes 
			 Churches Conservation Trust 7   No 
			 Channel 4 Television Corporation 8 8,330–18,260 59,310 No 
			 Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment 14 5,000–8,000 30,000 Yes 
			 The Community Fund 17  25,000 Yes 
			 Crafts Council 1   No 
			 English Heritage 17 2,235–5,000 54,000 Yes 
			 English Tourism Council 7 7,880 37,440 Yes 
			 Film Council 15 2,100  Yes 
			 Football Licensing Authority 8 5,000  Yes 
			 Gaming Board for Great Britain 5 16,447  Yes 
			 Geffrye Museum 12   Yes 
			 Historic Royal Palaces 9   Yes 
			 Horniman Public Museum and Public Park Trust 11   Yes 
			 Horserace Betting Levy Appeals Tribunal for England and Wales 3 187–265 per day 48,250 No 
			 Horserace Betting Levy Board 3 14,900–19,800 83,552 Yes 
			 Horserace Totalisator 9 9,613 33,026 Yes 
			 Imperial War Museum 22   Yes 
			 Independent Football Commission 1   Yes 
			 Independent Television Commission 11 19,900–26,250 77,590 Yes 
			 Millennium Commission 9   Yes 
			 Museum of London 17   Yes 
			 Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester 12   Yes 
			 National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts 14 1,800–2,700 22,660 Yes 
			 National Gallery 14   Yes 
			 National Heritage Memorial Fund 15 4,440–17,590 32,132 Yes 
			 National Lottery Commission 5 6,378  Yes 
			 National Maritime Museum 16   Yes 
			 National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside 18   Yes 
			 National Portrait Gallery 16   Yes 
			 Natural History Museum 12   Yes 
			 New Millennium Experience Co. 11 11,110  Yes 
			 New Opportunities Fund 13 8,309–12,500 24,133 Yes 
			 Public Lending Right Advisory Committee 8   Yes 
			 Public Lending Right Registrar 1  48,706 Yes 
			 Quality, Efficiency and Standards Team 6  41,020 Yes 
			 Radio Authority 9 14,930–19,690 58,180 Yes 
			 Chair of Culture South West 1   Yes 
			 Chair of East Midlands Regional Cultural Consortium 1   Yes 
			 Chair of East of England Regional Culture Consortium 1   Yes 
			 Chair of North East Regional Cultural Consortium 1   Yes 
			 Chair of North West Regional Cultural Consortium 1   Yes 
			 Chair of South East Regional Cultural Consortium 1   Yes 
			 Chair of West Midlands Regional Cultural Consortium 1   Yes 
			 Chair of Yorkshire and Humber Regional Cultural Consortium 1   Yes 
			 Resource 17   Yes 
			 Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Arts 8   Yes 
			 Royal Armouries 11   Yes 
			 Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts 18   Yes 
			 Royal Opera House 15   No 
			 Royal Parks Advisory Board 9   No 
			 S4C 8 8,300 44,480 Yes 
			 Science Museum 17   Yes 
			 St. John Soane's Museum 9   Yes 
			 South Bank Centre Board Ltd. 16   No 
			 Spoliation Advisory Panel 11  5,631 Yes 
			 Sport England 19 2,220–15,195 25,205 Yes 
			 Tate Gallery 12   Yes 
			 Theatres Trust 15   No 
			 Treasure Valuation Committee 6   Yes 
			 UK Sport 16 1,220 36,705 Yes 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 19   Yes 
			 Wallace Collection 8   Yes

Appointments

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list all the individuals that (a) she and her predecessors and (b) Ministers in her Department and their predecessors have appointed to boards, committees and trustees since 2 May 1997.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	The information you requested is being placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The list shows people who have been appointed or reappointed since 2 May 1997 by myself or by predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Chris Smith). This includes appointments which have been made by Ministers in my Department on my behalf. It does not include appointments made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister or, through him, by Her Majesty The Queen, on which I advise.

Digital TV

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the methods employed by her Department to calculate the take up of (a) digital terrestrial, (b) digital satellite and (c) digital cable in the United Kingdom.

Kim Howells: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	My Department mainly uses information on subscriber figures from platform operators to give an indication of the take up figures of digital pay television for different platforms.
	The Office for National Statistics' omnibus survey has recently included a question which asks how households in Great Britain access digital television, which will enable us to assess take-up across individual platforms. We expect that this will give a more accurate figure in the light of increasing numbers of non-subscription digital viewers.

BBC Accountability

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the means by which the British Broadcasting Corporation is accountable to Parliament.

Kim Howells: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	The BBC's accountability to Parliament is reflected primarily through the Royal Charter and Agreement. The Royal Charter is debated by Parliament before it comes into force and the Agreement is subject to formal approval by this House. In addition, the BBC's Annual Report and Accounts are laid in Parliament and Members have the opportunity to ask the BBC Chairman and Governors questions at an open event on the day of publication. The BBC is also subject to inquiry by the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, which in recent years has held hearings on the BBC's Annual Report, and the Secretary of State is often required to answer questions in this House concerning the BBC. Under the 1991 transfer of responsibilities agreement between the BBC and the Home Office, when the Corporation assumed responsibility for administering the television licensing system, the BBC is accountable to the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee for the value for money of the collection and enforcement arrangements.

BBC Accountability

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will list the dates on which (a) she, (b) Ministers, and (c) officials of her Department have met (i) the Director General and (ii) other members of the Executive Committee of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the last 12 months;
	(2)  if she will list the dates on which (a) she, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in her Department have met (i) the Chairman, (ii) the Vice Chairman and (iii) other members of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Kim Howells: holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002
	I, Ministers and officials have met members of the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee regularly in the course of business both at formal meetings or at other functions.

PRIME MINISTER

Energy Policy

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the conclusions of his Performance and Innovation Unit on the existing structure of institutions involved in United Kingdom energy policy-making and delivery.

Tony Blair: The PIU's conclusions on the existing structure of institutions involved in United Kingdom energy policy-making and delivery are set out in Chapter 8 of the Energy Review. For the status of these conclusions and future government action, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (Mr. Mann) on Thursday 14 February, Official Report, column 613W.

Performance and Innovation Unit

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Prime Minister when the Performance and Innovation Unit will publish its report on privacy and data-sharing.

Tony Blair: The Performance and Innovation Unit's report "Privacy and Data-Sharing: The Way Forward for Public Services" is being published today. The report is important in the continuing development of customer-focused public services and sets out a strategy for improving the use of personal data in the public sector, while still safeguarding individual's privacy, including:
	(i) Making better use of technology to deliver more secure, more joined-up services—using technology to ensure data is secure at all times and to enable more joined-up, more personalised service delivery:
	(ii) Improving data quality—ensuring that the data held for public service delivery is good quality and up-to-date;
	(iii) Building public trust—ensuring that clear prinicples govern the way that personal information is used across the public sector and that there is greater oppenness in the interactions between public services and their consumers; and
	(iv) Addressing legal problems—ensuring that public services are clear about how the law regulates data-sharing, together with consultation on possible options for legislative changes.
	There are a number of recommendations in the report where we need a proper debate before final decisions are made. On those recommendations—set out in the report—the Government is seeking views from all interested parties. For the other recommendations, the Government wants to see early progress in taking them forward as part of the strategy in delivering the overall objectives.
	Copies of the report have been placed in the Vote Office and the Libraries.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

South Middlesbrough Academy

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if a decision has been made on a funding agreement between her Department and the proposed South Middlesbrough Academy.

Stephen Timms: My Department has been supporting the development of plans for a City Academy in South Middlesbrough. I welcome the commitment of the sponsors and Middlesbrough Council to establish an Academy which will raise standards in the area and meet the needs of local pupils and the wider community. I expect soon to be in a position to consider whether to enter into a funding agreement with the Academy.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Television

Tim Yeo: To ask the President of the Council if he will list the number of subscriptions to (a) digital terrestrial, (b) digital satellite and (c) digital cable television held by his Department for services in any departmental building from which Ministers work, stating for each subscription its (i) cost and (ii) purpose.

Robin Cook: My Department does not subscribe to (a) digital terrestrial, (b) digital satellite or (c) digital cable television. However, my Department does own a number of Sky Digiboxes to receive free-to-air digital channels.

Special Advisers

Simon Burns: To ask the President of the Council how many times special advisers have accompanied Ministers on overseas visits in each of the last five years; which countries were visited; and what the total cost of each individual visit was.

Robin Cook: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Country No. of special advisers Overall cost of trip £ 
		
		
			 October 2000 Mexico 1 16,012.17 
			 September 2000 Switzerland and Germany 1 6,697.21 
			 January 2001 America1 1 48,387.01 
		
	
	1 The office of the Leader of the House was then responsible for the Business Co-ordination Unit which has since been transferred to the Cabinet Office.
	The cost of these visits attributed to Special Advisers is not available.

Ministerial Travel

Simon Burns: To ask the President of the Council how many times Ministers in his Department have travelled abroad at taxpayers' expense since March 2001; what countries they visited; and what the total cost of each visit was.

Robin Cook: None.

Parliamentary Questions

John Bercow: To ask President of the Council if he will take steps to improve the response time to parliamentary questions.

Robin Cook: In its response to the Public Administration Select Committee's Second Report of Session 2000–01 on Ministerial Accountability and parliamentary questions, the Government made clear its commitment to providing prompt and accurate answers to parliamentary questions. This continues to be the Government's position.
	My Department will continue to improve on its performance. Arrangements are being made for additional training to be given to officials in my Department who provide draft replies.

WALES

Foot and Mouth

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the Welsh Assembly on expenditure levels in (a) Wales and (b) England on measures to alleviate FMD problems in 2001.

Mr. Murphy: holding answer given on 11 February 2002
	I have met the First Minister and the Rural Affairs Minister of the National Assembly for Wales regularly throughout 2001 and subsequently. A wide range of issues connected to FMD were discussed, including measures to alleviate FMD problems through compensation to farming businesses and measures to assist businesses (including tourism) affected by FMD.
	Additionally, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State was a member of the Rural Task Force set up to examine and alleviate the effects of FMD on rural areas and rural businesses. The National Assembly for Wales was also a member of this group.

Health and Safety (Computers)

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many employees in his Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to (a) current and (b) new staff.

Mr. Murphy: The Assembly operates this scheme for the Wales Office and maintains a log of applications, which is not broken down by operational unit. Hence, an aggregate figure for Wales Office is not readily available. To date about 420 Assembly staff have received a free eye test, some of these would have been Wales Office staff.
	The scheme is widely advertised through an induction questionnaire, induction course, on-line computer training package and Health and Safety bulletin board. Soon the scheme will be advertised through an intranet Health and Safety page, which is currently under development.

Civil Servants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the (a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant.

Mr. Murphy: My staff undertake official rail journeys in line with the guidance and principles set out in section 8 of the Civil Service Management Code and departmental staff handbook.
	The information on (a) is not held centrally and collating it would involve disproportionate costs.
	In case of (b) the commonest rail journey is that between Cardiff and London for which the average first class return fare is around £140.
	Information on (c) is not available in the form requested. However, spending on UK travel by the Wales Office during 1999–2000 (since 1 July 1999) was £117,000, in 2000–01 £62,000 and in 2001–02 (to end of January 2002) £55,000.

Television Sets

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) analogue and (b) integrated digital television sets his Department has purchased in each of the last 24 months; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Murphy: My Department has bought three analogue television sets in the last 24 months.
	As with all procurement decisions, officials are expected to find the most cost-effective solution to meet the expressed need.

Capita Contracts

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  how many contracts the Department has with Capita; and how much they are worth;
	(2)  if he will list the contracts that have been awarded to the Capita Group by the Department.

Mr. Murphy: None.

European Union Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the European Union directives and regulations relating to his Department that have been implemented in each of the last four years, specifying (a) the title and purpose of each, (b) the cost to public funds of each and (c) the cost to businesses of each.

Mr. Murphy: My Department has not had responsibility for the implementation of any European Union directives and regulations since its creation in July 1999.

Cynon Valley

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on recent discussions with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales about the plans of the National Assembly for Wales for the NHS in the Cynon Valley.

Don Touhig: My right hon. Friend and I have not recently discussed with the First Minister or Health Minister of the National Assembly for Wales Assembly plans for the NHS specific to the Cynon Valley. However, I understand that the Assembly have reaffirmed their commitment to addressing areas of health deprivation in all parts of Wales by endorsing the Townsend report with a view to starting the implementation process in April 2003.

Gender Pay Gap

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the extent of the gender pay gap amongst staff in his Department.

Mr. Murphy: The permanent civil servants in my Department are all secondees from elsewhere and so their home departments determine their salaries. However, the Assembly who supply most of the secondees work closely wit the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and has assisted in the development of an equal pay model to allow employers to carry out pay audits. It has conducted pay audits for the past two years and will be doing so again this year.
	In carrying out the equal pay audit and reforming their pay system, the Assembly have taken particular note of the EOC Task Force report "Just Pay". They have developed several initiatives to close the gender pay gap including no penalty for mothers who take career breaks to raise families, that is they return to the pay scale point they would have been on had they continued working.

Working Conditions and Practices

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

Mr. Murphy: Job sharing is only one of a number of alternative and flexible working patterns that staff at the Wales Office are welcome to take up. The flexibility of the pattern is decided in consultation with management to suit an individual's need and the needs of their work.
	At the present time the Wales Office has eight staff out of 40 who work a flexible pattern, none of these job-share.

Working Conditions and Practices

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are (a) job sharing, (b) term working and (c) engaged in another form of flexible working.

Mr. Murphy: At the present time the Wales Office does not have any job share or term working staff. However, out of the 40 staff at the Wales Office eight enjoy alternative and flexible working patterns.

Working Conditions and Practices

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members of staff were employed by the Wales Office on secondment from non-Governmental organisations in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001.

Mr. Murphy: One staff member was seconded to the Wales Office from a non-Governmental organisation in the year 2001. There were none in 1999 or 2000.

Working Conditions and Practices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Murphy: Work related stress has only been separately identified as a cause of absence for the last six months. During this period there is no record of any member of Wales Office staff having been absent for work related stress.
	Wales Office staff have available to them the resources of the Assembly in tackling stress. These include a new draft policy on stress and will shortly include a Health, Safety and Welfare intranet site providing guidance on stress at work, including details of stress awareness training.

Press Office

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total cost of running the Department's press office was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr. Murphy: holding answer given on 10 April 2002
	My Department's press office consists of three full-time people; its running costs are not separately identified.
	The Wales Office was created in July 1999; figures for 1996–97 would therefore relate to the much larger predecessor department and would not be comparable.

Ministerial Travel

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the journeys made to Wales by (a) him and (b) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his official capacity over the last 12 months; what the purpose of each visit was; and what mode of transport was employed.

Mr. Murphy: Both myself and my hon. Friend live in Wales and so any travel from home on official business originates in Wales. Furthermore, a substantial amount of our time is spent on official duties in Wales. Due to the very large number and routine nature of the journeys made to, from and within Wales no separate record is kept of either their frequency or mode, though all journeys are made within the terms of the ministerial code.

Project Sponsorship

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of his Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including g(a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.

Mr. Murphy: No Wales Office projects have been sponsored since the Department's creation in July 1999.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Future of Europe Convention

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will place in the Library a verbatim report of the proceedings of the European Convention on the Future of Europe.

Peter Hain: The Convention does not provide verbatim reports of each plenary session. It is, nevertheless, committed to making its proceedings transparent. Plenary sessions are open to the public and broadcast live on the Convention's website (http:// european-convention.eu.int). It also contains summary records of these sessions, details of its future work programme, and all documents submitted in the course of its work.

Burma

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 13 February, Official Report, column 435W, on Burma, what assessment he has made of measures taken in partnership with the EU designed to promote human rights, national reconciliation and democracy in Burma; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: I very much welcome the EU's united position and involvement in Burma. In recent weeks there has been an EU Troika delegation visit to Burma, joint action over forced labour in Burma at the International Labour Organisation, an EU demarche to press for the reinstatement of a planned visit to Burma by the UN Secretary General's Special Representative to Burma, and we are currently preparing a resolution on Burma for adoption at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
	I remain gravely concerned about the overall situation in Burma. Although there has been some very modest political progress there in the past 16 months, we now need to see evidence of substantive change if confidence in the political process in Burma is to be maintained.

Community Agricultural Policy

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost will be to the EU in 2002 of the CAP (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the overall EU budget; how much each EU member state will receive from the CAP; and if he will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 26 March 2002
	I have been asked to reply.
	The cost to the EU budget of the CAP in 2002 is forecast to be 44,480 million euro, which is 46.5 per cent. of the budget. The following table gives CAP receipts for each member state in 2001, since there are no forecasts available for these receipts in 2002.
	
		
			 Member State Euro (million) 
		
		
			 Austria 1,052 
			 Belgium 934 
			 Denmark 1,112 
			 Finland 815 
			 France 9,221 
			 Germany 5,858 
			 Greece 2,612 
			 Ireland 1,584 
			 Italy 5,324 
			 Luxembourg 29 
			 Netherlands 1,104 
			 Portugal 874 
			 Spain 6,176 
			 Sweden 780 
			 United Kingdom 3,997

Gibraltar

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if Spain was invited to attend the recent talks under the terms of the Brussels Process before an invitation was extended to the Government of Gibraltar.

Peter Hain: The Brussels Process, involving the UK and Spanish governments, was established in 1984 with the aim of overcoming both government's differences over Gibraltar and promoting co-operation on a mutually beneficial basis.
	We informed the Chief Minster of Gibraltar in June 2001 of our intention to re-launch the Brussels Process. We and the Spanish Government made clear from the outset that Gibraltarian engagement would be an important element in carrying the process successfully forward.
	The Chief Minister of Gibraltar has been invited to attend al the Brussels Process meetings since then. The offer remains open for him to participate in future meetings, having his own and distinct voice on the British side of the table: as the formula "three voices two flags".

Gibraltar

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what basis European Union funds are not made available for the economic development of Gibraltar.

Peter Hain: Gibraltar has access to European Union Structural Funding. For the period 2000–06 Gibraltar has been allocated Euro 8 million of Objective 2 funding (assisting regions affected by the decline of traditional industries), and Euro 7 million of Objective 3 funding (combating long-term unemployment and promoting the integration of young people into the labour market). In addition, Gibraltar is involved in three INTERREG III programmes, with an allocation of Euro 425,000 for each.

Gibraltar

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the British Government will formally seek the views of the Government of Gibraltar on proposals being discussed with the Spanish Government before agreeing any such proposals with a view to these the being placed before the people of Gibraltar for referendum.

Peter Hain: The aim of the current Brussels Process talks between the UK and Spanish Governments is to produce a set of proposals offering a framework for a secure, stable and prosperous future for Gibraltar. We want Gibraltar to have a voice in the talks. That is why we and the Spanish Government have invited the Chief Minister to participate with his own voice on the British side of the table, a formula known as: "three voices two flags". The offer stands and we continue to hope the Chief Minister will take it up.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the date for the next round of talks between Britain and Spain on the future status of Gibraltar.

Peter Hain: A further Ministerial meeting under the Brussels Process will be held in the coming months. The date has not yet been fixed. Our aim remains to conclude a comprehensive agreement by the summer.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether Gibraltar's social tax status would be a barrier to integration into the UK.

Peter Hain: None. The Government does not regard integration with the UK as an option for any of the British Overseas Territories.

Gibraltar

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to encourage the United States Administration to ratify the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty; and what information he has in respect of the shortfall in payments made to the CTBT organisation in Vienna.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (Mr. John McDonnell) on 10 December 2001, (Official Report, column 711W.)
	In previous years, payments to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organisation have averaged over 95 per cent. of the annual approved budget.
	By 3 April this year, the organisation had already received over 50 per cent. of its current budget contributions. This compares favourably with this time last year, when the figure stood at 45 per cent. The US have contributed US$16.6 million for 2002, which represents more than 95 per cent. of their assessed contribution.

Gibraltar

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the proceeds from the sale of the former Cambodian Embassy in London.

Ben Bradshaw: The proceeds from the sale of the former Cambodian Embassy premises and subsequent interest thereon, amount in total to £2.6 million, were transferred to the Foreign Ministry of Cambodia on 21 March. We hope the Cambodian Government will use these funds to establish a permanent diplomatic presence in the UK.

Gibraltar

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what goods subject to strategic controls have recently been approved for export to Iraq.

Denis MacShane: Following consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved a licence to export laboratory equipment for use by secondary schools in Northern Iraq. The export included 6.25kg of sodium sulphide which is subject to the Dual-Use Items (Export Control) Regulations 2000 as amended. The UN Iraq Sanctions Committee approved this export to Iraq under the Oil for Food programme (OFF). Under OFF Iraq is allowed to export unlimited quantities of oil to fund the purchase of humanitarian goods. The export is consistent with the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria.

Gibraltar

Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for April and (b) major European Union events for the period between 30 April and September.

Peter Hain: April 2002
	5–6—Brussels—Luxembourg—Migrations Council (ASEM Informal)
	8—Luxembourg—Fisheries Council
	13–14—Luxembourg—ECOFIN (Ministerial
	(Informal)
	15–16—Luxembourg—General Affairs Council
	22–23—Valencia—Euromed Conference
	22–23—Luxembourg—Agriculture Council
	25–26—Luxembourg—Justice and Home Affairs Council
	27–30—Luxembourg—Agriculture Council
	(Ministerial Informal)
	The following are the principle events in the EU between 1 May and September 2002 (certain relevant events are also included: the list is based on the information available at the date of issue).
	May
	2—Washington—EU/US Summit
	3–4—Brussels—Tourism Council (Ministerial Informal)
	6—Brussels—Eurogroup (Evening)
	7—Brussels—ECOFIN
	8—Madrid—EU/Canada Summit
	9—Europe Day
	13—Brussels—General Affairs Council and Defence Ministers Meeting
	17–18—Madrid—EU-Latin America and Caribbean Summit
	21—Brussels—Internal Market, Consumers and Tourism Council
	23—Brussels—Culture and Audio-visual Council
	24–26—Brussels—Environment Council
	(Ministerial Informal)
	27–28—Brussels—Agriculture Council
	30—Brussels—Development Council
	30—Brussels—Education and Youth Council
	31–1 June—Brussels—Transport Council
	(Ministerial Informal)
	June
	3—Brussels—Employment and Social Affairs Council
	3—Brussels—Eurogroup (Evening)
	4—Luxembourg—ECOFIN
	6–8—Brussels—Foreign Affairs Council (ASEM Ministers)
	6–7—Brussels—Industry and Energy Council
	10–11—Brussels—General Affairs Council
	10–11—Brussels—Agriculture Council
	11—Brussels—Fisheries Council
	13–14—Brussels—Justice and Home Affairs Council
	17–18—Brussels—Transport and Telecoms Council
	17–18—Brussels—General Affairs Council
	21–22—Seville—European Council
	24—Brussels—General Affairs Council (Evening)
	24–25—Brussels—Environment Council
	25—Luxembourg—ECOFIN
	26—Brussels—Health Council
	July
	6—Copenhagen—ASEM Ministers for Finance
	12—Brussels—ECOFIN
	12–13—Kolding—Meeting of Employment and Social Policy Ministers (Informal)
	15–16—Brussels—Agriculture Council
	19—Brussels—Budget Meeting
	19–21—Arhus—Environment Ministers Meeting (Informal)
	22–23—Brussels—General Affairs Council
	August
	31–1—Elisnore—Gymnich (Ministerial Informal)
	September
	6—Brussels—ASEM Economic Ministers Meeting
	6–8—Copenhagen—ECOFIN (Ministerial Informal)
	8–10—Nyborg—Agriculture Council (Ministerial Informal)
	12–13—Copenhagen—Justice and Home Affairs Council (Ministerial Informal)
	22–23—Copenhagen—ASEM Meeting
	23–24—Brussels—Agriculture Council
	26—Brussels—Internal Market, Consumer Affairs and Tourism Council
	27—Tent—ACP-EU Ministers Meeting
	30—Brussels—General Affairs Council
	30—Brussels—Research Council

International Criminal Court

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the International Criminal Court.

Jack Straw: This is an historic day or international justice and for the human rights of every citizen of the world. Today, at the United Nations in New York, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Ireland, Mongolia, Romania and Slovakia deposited their instruments of ratification to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). These ratifications bring to 63 the number of states to have committed themselves to this landmark Convention and therefore activates the Statute, which will enter into force on 1 July 2002.
	The ICC will try those individuals accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, irrespective of their rank or position. In future, tyrants will know that their actions are not beyond the reach of international justice. The victims of their crimes will, for the first time, be able to look forward to the prospect of real justice. The culture of impunity, which has shrouded human rights violations for too long, will be over.
	This government has always been an enthusiastic supporter of the Court. It is our belief that the global rule of law is stronger than the local rule of tyrants. We played a major part in drafting the Statute, and worked hard to secure the passage of the International Criminal Court Act through this Parliament and the Scottish Parliament, to enable us to be amongst the first 60 states to ratify. I pay tribute to my predecessor, the right hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook), and to all those who have worked to see establishment of the ICC.
	The ICC will be a permanent court acting as a permanent deterrent for all potential tyrants. In time, this will be the law which transcends borders and embodies global values. As ever with all institutions of the law, its practice will be as important as its founding principles. We are committed to ensuring that it does its job fairly and impartially. We hope shortly to nominate a British candidate to be one of the judges of the Court.

Project Sponsorship

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of his Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.

Denis MacShane: In line with the Government's commitment in its response to the Sixth Report form the Committee on Standards in Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 will be disclosed in departmental Annual Reports.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Criminal Damage

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what the cost has been of criminal damage to her Department's buildings in each of the last four years.

Harriet Harman: holding reply 25 March 2002
	In relation to my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, so far as I am aware, there have been no instances of criminal damage to the Department's building in each of the last four years.
	In relation to those Departments for which the Attorney General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain a database in respect of incidents or costs arising from criminal damage to its buildings. The Crown Prosecution Service could not obtain such information without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	None of the Treasury Solicitor's Department's premises have suffered criminal damage over the last four years.
	Serious Fraud Office
	The Serious Fraud Office has not suffered any criminal damage over the last four years.

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor General how many people employed by her Department under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseekers' allowance or other benefits.

Harriet Harman: My Own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, is a small one and the staff are all seconded from other Government Departments. It has not, therefore employed any staff under the New Deal schemes during the last four years.
	In the Departments for which the Attorney General is responsible, details are as follows:
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The Crown Prosecution Service has not employed anyone specifically under the New Deal for Young People scheme over the last four years.
	However, two people within the Young People scheme age group were employed by the Department under a general New Deal recruitment scheme. Both employees were placed on one year fixed term contracts (unsubsidised). One person was released after a couple of months, as the outcome of the pre-employment enquiries proved unsatisfactory. It is not known whether this person returned to claim jobseekers' allowance or any other benefits. The second person resigned after a year to commence a college course. Treasury Solicitor's Department The Treasury Solicitor's Department has never specifically allocated vacancies to be filled by New Deal applicants, although where the Department has recruited at Administrative Officer level and below, it has always circulated these vacancies on the New Deal Network, through the local Job Centre.
	Two Support Grade Band 2s were recruited in May 2000, who were New Deal registered. These employees were offered permanent posts from the outset and therefore no subsidies were claimed.
	Serious Fraud Office
	The Serious Fraud Office has not employed any staff under the New Deal Schemes during the last four years.

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor General, what recent assessment she had made of whether the PSA target to increase by March from 93 per cent. to 100 per cent. the proportion of prosecution witness expenses sent no later than 10 working days from receipt of a correctly completed claim form will be met.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 10 April 2002
	Information about progress on PSA targets will be published in the Law Officers' 2002 Departmental Report.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Contracts

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many contracts were let by her Department and agencies for which she is responsible to (a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–00, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration in each case.

Patricia Hewitt: Information from the Department's systems indicate that contracts let by core DTI to PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers are as follows:
	
		PricewaterhouseCoopers 
		
			  No. contracts Total value £ 
		
		
			 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 9 354,657 
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 16 636,623 
			 1 April 2001 to 4 January 2002 13 870,199 
		
	
	Contracts let by core DTI to Ernst & Young are as follows:
	
		Ernst & Young
		
			  No. contracts Total value £ 
		
		
			 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 3 407,165 
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 58 829,043 
			 1 April 2001 to 4 January 2002 10 879,679 
		
	
	Contracts let by core DTI to Deloitte & Touche are as follows:
	
		Deloitte & Touche
		
			  No. contracts Total value £ 
		
		
			 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 6 1,265,252 
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 6 1,839,428 
			 1 April 2001 to 4 January 2002 4 4,489,189 
		
	
	Contracts let by core DTI to KPMG are as follows:
	
		KPMG
		
			  No. contracts Total value £ 
		
		
			 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 1 11,642 
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 4 30,009 
			 1 April 2001 to 4 January 2002 3 92,131 
		
	
	Information is not held centrally for the earlier years and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.
	For contracts let to Andersen I would refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr on 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 62W where exceptionally information was given for earlier years.
	The Department's Executive Agencies will be responding separately.
	Letter from Dr. J. W. Llewellyn to Mr. Don Foster, dated 11 April 2002
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question about the number and value of consutlancy services commissioned by NWML in recent years in respect of PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Yong, Deloitte Touche, KPMG and Andersen.
	NWML has not engaged any of these organisations during the period specified.
	Letter from David Irwin to Mr. Don Foster, dated 11 April 2002
	I set out below details of contracts issued by the Small Business Service since its inception on 3 April 2000, together with its predecessor directorates, to two of the companies listed in your question to Mrs. Hewitt.
	
		
			 Company Financial Year Number of contracts Value (£) 
		
		
			 KPMG 1997–98 1 19,387 
			  1998–99 1 254,232 
			  2001–02 Secondee 35,000 
			 Ernst & Young 1997–98 2 75,719 
		
	
	No contracts were issued to PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche, or Andersen.
	Letter from Chris de Grouchy to Mr. Don Foster, dated 11 April 2002
	In the absence of the Chief Executive, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the Radiocommunications Agency to your Parliamentary Question about contracts let to various companies.
	In 1999–2000 the Agency let one contract to KPMG. Remuneration for the work amounted to £1,522,460 ex-VAT.
	Letter from Dr. Roger Heathcote to Mr. Don Foster, dated 11 April 2002
	You tabled a Parliamentary Question on 4 February 2002 to Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, concerning how many contracts were let by her Department and agencies for which she is responsible to (a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration made in each case.
	The Employment Tribunals Service awarded one contract to Deloitte & Touche for (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available. The remuneration made was as follows:
	Financial year 2000–01 payment of £21,319.20 was made on 22 February 2001;
	Financial year 2001–02 payment of £10,184.90 was made on 12 April 2001; and
	Financial year 2001–02 payment of £21,576.53 was made on 19 July 2001.
	The Employment Tribunals Service awarded this contract to Deloitte & Touche as a result of a competitive tender. The contract was funded from the Civil Service Reform Fund and both the work and payment spanned the financial years 2000–01 and 2001–02.
	Letter from John Holden to Mr. Don Foster, dated 11 April 2002
	I refer to your written Parliamentary Question 2001/2674. I have been asked to respond for Companies House.
	A contract was let to PricewaterhouseCoopers in June 1998, via a mini-competition using SCAT suppliers, for consultancy advice related to procurement of a Millennium-compliant accounting system, at a cost of £127K.
	Letter from Desmond Flynn to Mr. Don Foster, dated 11 April 2002
	The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question as to how many contracts were let by The Insolvency Service to (a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–00, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration made in each case.
	The Insolvency Service has had no consultancy contracts with these firms during the specified years.
	Letter from Alison Brimelow to Mr. Don Foster, dated 11 April 2002
	I am replying on behalf of the Patent Office to your Parliamentary Question 2674 to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry relating to contracts let to PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte & Touche, KPMG and Andersen for consultancy services for each of the financial years from 1997 to 2001.
	No contracts have been let by the Patent Office to any of the above for consultancy services in any of the financial years from 1997 to 2001.

ECGD Assistance

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list by name and location, the fossil fuel power projects that have been built with the involvement of UK companies in receipt of ECGD assistance since (a) 1992 and (b) 1997; and which of those are coal-powered.

Patricia Hewitt: The tables below list the project name, country and fuel type for which ECGD has provided guarantees since 1992 and 1997.
	In addition, ECGD has provided Overseas Investment Insurance and other insurances for 11 fossil fuel power projects. These projects are not disclosed, since such cases are treated as commercial in confidence.
	For most of the projects listed, the UK exporter is one of several contractors and ECGD is guaranteeing only part of the total project financing.
	
		Table 1: Power Projects Supported by ECGD 1992–1997
		
			 Project Name Country Fuel Type 
		
		
			 Balagarh India Coal 
			 Budge Budge India Coal 
			 Fuzhou China Coal 
			 Nantong China Coal 
			 Dalate China Coal 
			 Fushan City China Coal 
			 Gao Bei Dian China Coal 
			 Omblin Indonesia Coal 
			 Dalian China Coal 
			 Dandong China Coal 
			 Majuba South Africa Coal 
			 Shaijao Hong Kong Coal 
			 Hare and Munyati Zimbabwe Coal 
			 Shandong China Coal 
			 Sual Philippines Coal 
			 Doha East Kuwait Oil 
			 Pulau Seraya Stage III Singapore Oil 
			 Outer Island Indonesia Oil 
			 Manah Power Station Oman Gas 
			 Blackpoint Hong Kong Gas 
			 Tetouan Morocco Gas 
			 Samarinda Indonesia Gas 
			 Manjung Malaysia Gas 
			 Kakinda India Gas 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Power Projects Supported by ECGD since 1997
		
			 Project Name Country Fuel Type 
		
		
			 Shandong China Coal 
			 Bulawayo Zimbabwe Coal 
			 Munjung Malaysia Coal 
			 Naptha Jhakri India Coal 
			 Afsin—Elbistan Turkey Coal 
			 AK Enerji Turkey Gas 
			 Bilkent Turkey Gas 
			 Manzanillo Mexico Gas/Oil 
			 St Kitts Power St Kitts and Nevis Oil 
			 Elege Alimentos Brazil Oil 
			 Anguilla Electricity Anguilla Oil 
			 Ghubrah Oman Oil 
			 San Pedro Dominican Republic Oil 
			 Magnesita Brazil Oil 
			 Outer Islands Power Indonesia Oil

Economic Reform

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how she intends to pursue the Lisbon agenda of economic reform after the Barcelona Summit.

Melanie Johnson: The Government view the Barcelona Summit as a significant success. The conclusions registered solid progress on economic reform and, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stressed in his post-Summit Press Conference, it "symbolised an important change of gear for Europe's economy and its economic policy".
	The Lisbon agenda is a 10 year programme and there is still much to be done. We wait to ensure that individual Councils make a practical reality of the Barcelona conclusions on the liberalisation of energy markets, the availability of Broadband, final agreement on a Community Patent and the adoption of an EU R&D Framework. Member states will also need to work closely with the European Commission in its work on an Entrepreneurship Green Paper, reform of state aids policy and exploiting biotechnology.
	In taking this work forward, both Ministers and officials will continue to be constructively engaged with the Commission, our opposite numbers in other member states and the European Parliament, as well as ensuring that the voice of UK and European business is listened to by all key EU players.

Pay (Heywood and Middleton)

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have to commission data on the gender pay gap in Heywood and Middleton constituency.

Alan Johnson: The Office for National Statistics publishes data on the gender pay gap in the New Earnings Survey. However, in the case of the Heywood and Middleton Constituency, the data is not sufficiently reliable for publication.
	Current trends in women's individual incomes have been explored in two studies published last year by the Women and Equality Unit (WEU). Copies of these reports are available on the WEU website (http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/research/publications/research-and-publications.htm).
	WEU Gender Briefing, which provides statistical briefing on the position of women compared with men in the labour market, is also available on the website (http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/research/gender-briefing/home.htm).
	There are no plans to commission further research into the gender pay gap in Heywood and Middleton.

Oil and Gas Industry

Gillian Merron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on the Department's review of the oil and gas industry's code of practice dealing with the negotiations for access to oil and gas infrastructure.

Brian Wilson: I have today placed in the Libraries of the House recommendations to industry to consider limited but worthwhile changes to its Infrastructure Code of Practice. The proposed changes are intended to improve the transparency and conduct of negotiations for third party access to UKCS pipelines and processing facilities. This is the final element of the Departmental response to its consultation on Oil and Gas Infrastructure: Access Provisions and Voluntary Arrangements, which included a review of the effectiveness of the voluntary Code. The recommendations build on views expressed and suggestions made in response to that consultation.

Mineworkers

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for giving mineworkers a greater share of the surplus from their pension fund; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the Member for Barnsley Central on 17 January, Official Report, column 403W.

Mineworkers

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the wards in the South and South East of England which have EU objective 2 status, in the grouping which enabled them to qualify for objective 2 status, listing for each grouping its (a) position relative to the lowest decile of deprivation indices, (b) population, (c) unemployment according to the last census, (d) average income per head according to the most recent information available, (e) population of working age and (f) county.

Alan Johnson: Groups of wards were submitted to the European Commission for consideration for Objective 2 status according to the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999. The table shows the groups for wards in the South West and South East of England, and shows which NUTS 3 and 4 areas the wards were in. The table shows (a) whether the ward was ranked in the tenth lowest wards according to the 1998 index of deprivation, (b) the population as estimated for 1996, (c) unemployment according to the 1991 census, (d) the population of working age according to the 1991 census.
	No information is available on average income per head for wards.
	
		
			 UA or LA Ward Criterion for inclusion Index of multiple deprivation on 1998 lowest decile? Population 19961 Un-employed census 1991 Working age census 1991 
		
		
			 Hastings Maze Hill Urban article 4(7) No 4,300 219 2,105 
			  Mount Pleasant Urban article 4(7) No 5,800 249 3,220 
			  Old Hastings Urban article 4(7) No 4,100 192 2,314 
			  Ore Urban article 4(7) No 5,100 221 3,000 
			  West St. Leonards Urban article 4(7) No 6,500 236 3,615 
			  Castle Urban article 4(7) Yes 3,600 315 2,257 
			  Central St. Leonards Urban article 4(7) Yes 4,500 381 2,555 
			 Dover Sandwich Urban article 4(7) No 4,900 123 2,601 
			 Thanet Cecil Urban article 4(7) No 2,300 148 1,338 
			  Central Eastcliff Urban article 4(7) Yes 6,400 525 3,623 
			  Ethelbert Urban article 4(7) Yes 2,100 222 1,328 
			  Minster Parish Urban article 4(7) No 3,300 94 1,901 
			  Newington Urban article 4(7) Yes 5,000 359 2,843 
			  Northdown Park Urban article 4(7) Yes 6,300 401 3,357 
			  Pier Urban article 4(7) Yes 2,500 266 1,439 
			  St. Lawrence Urban article 4(7) No 4,500 141 2,365 
			  St. Peters Urban article 4(7) No 6,000 180 3,146 
			  Salmestone Urban article 4(7) No 4,800 198 2,615 
			  Southwood Urban article 4(7) No 4,700 182 2,576 
			  Thanet Parishes Urban article 4(7) No 1,800 48 1,057 
			 Bristol Ashley Urban article 4(7) Yes 12,800 1,315 7,943 
			  Easton Urban article 4(7) Yes 11,500 711 6,721 
			  Filwood Urban article 4(7) Yes 11,000 900 6,091 
			  Lawrence Hill Urban article 4(7) Yes 12,900 1,275 7,129 
			  Windmill Hill Urban article 4(7) Yes 14,400 885 8,680 
			 North Devon Bishop's Nympton Rural article 4(9b) No 1,800 57 1,025 
			  Bishop's Tawton Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 38 983 
			  Bratton Fleming Rural article 4(9b) No 1,800 48 1,112 
			  Braunton East Rural article 4(9b) No 3,800 111 2,218 
			  Braunton West Rural article 4(9b) No 3,800 101 1,980 
			  Chittlehampton Rural article 4(9b) No 1,900 56 1,138 
			  Chulmleigh Rural article 4(9b) No 2,000 57 1,121 
			  Combe Martin Rural article 4(9b) No 3,200 133 1,777 
			  Fremington Rural article 4(9b) No 7,500 216 4,100 
			  Georgeham Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 42 826 
			  Heanton Punchardon Rural article 4(9b) No 2,700 67 1,691 
			  Ilfracombe Central Rural article 4(9b) No 3,900 275 2,113 
			  Ilfracombe East Rural article 4(9b) No 3,100 175 1,888 
			  Ilfracombe West Rural article 4(9b) No 4,100 176 2,317 
			  Instow Rural article 4(9b) No 1,700 45 949 
			  Landkey Rural article 4(9b) No 2,600 79 1,543 
			  Longbridge Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 75 927 
			  Lynton and Lynmouth Rural article 4(9b) No 1,900 54 1,120 
			  Marwood Rural article 4(9b) No 1,800 55 1,110 
			  Mortehoe Rural article 4(9b) No 2,300 84 1,369 
			  Newport Rural article 4(9b) No 3,900 148 2,236 
			  North Molton Rural article 4(9b) No 1,400 29 825 
			  Pilton Rural article 4(9b) No 4,000 92 2,441 
			  St Mary's Rural article 4(9b) No 3,300 160 1,953 
			  South Molton Rural article 4(9b) No 4,300 117 2,386 
			  Swimbridge Rural article 4(9b) No 2,100 60 1,286 
			  Tawstock Rural article 4(9b) No 2,200 51 1,230 
			  Trinity Rural article 4(9b) No 4,900 265 2,869 
			  Witheridge Rural article 4(9b) No 2,000 48 1,044 
			  Yeo Rural article 4(9b) No 3,500 200 2,077 
			 South Hams Avon and Harbourne Rural article 4(9b) No 2,000 64 1,239 
			  Avonleigh Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 40 889 
			  Bickleigh and Shaugh Rural article 4(9b) No 4,500 133 3,082 
			  Brixton Rural article 4(9b) No 1,400 34 759 
			  Charterlands Rural article 4(9b) No 2,000 62 1,121 
			  Cornwood and Harford Rural article 4(9b) No 1,200 31 722 
			  Dartington Rural article 4(9b) No 1,700 68 958 
			  Dartmouth Clifton Rural article 4(9b) No 2,900 87 1,498 
			  Dartmouth Hardness Rural article 4(9b) No 3,000 96 1,620 
			  Dart Valley Rural article 4(9b) No 1,900 60 1,108 
			  Eastmoor Rural article 4(9b) No 1,200 35 750 
			  Erme Valley Rural article 4(9b) No 1,700 29 828 
			  Garabrook Rural article 4(9b) No 1,700 40 1,022 
			  Ivybridge Rural article 4(9b) No 9,800 252 6,030 
			  Kingsbridge Rural article 4(9b) No 5,200 145 2,747 
			  Kingswear Rural article 4(9b) No 1,300 44 736 
			  Malborough Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 27 749 
			  Marldon Rural article 4(9b) No 2,000 59 1,166 
			  Modbury Rural article 4(9b) No 1,400 32 776 
			  Newton and Noss Rural article 4(9b) No 1,800 46 989 
			  Salcombe Rural article 4(9b) No 2,200 48 1,135 
			  Saltstone Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 40 835 
			  Skerries Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 27 721 
			  South Brent Rural article 4(9b) No 2,900 74 1,573 
			  Sparkwell Rural article 4(9b) No 1,100 40 692 
			  Stoke Gabriel Rural article 4(9b) No 1,300 27 714 
			  Stokenham Rural article 4(9b) No 2,000 45 943 
			  Thurlestone Rural article 4(9b) No 1,800 39 892 
			  Totnes Rural article 4(9b) No 4,700 220 2,614 
			  Totnes Bridgetown Rural article 4(9b) No 2,500 103 1,291 
			  Ugborough Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 62 930 
			  Wembury Rural article 4(9b) No 3,000 60 1,811 
			  West Dart Rural article 4(9b) No 1,700 45 927 
			  Yealmpton Rural article 4(9b) No 2,100 79 1,242 
			 Torridge Appledore East Rural article 4(9b) No 1,200 67 613 
			  Appledore West Rural article 4(9b) No 1,100 27 594 
			  Bideford East Rural article 4(9b) No 4,000 150 2,214 
			  Bideford North Rural article 4(9b) No 4,600 207 2,532 
			  Bideford South Rural article 4(9b) No 5,100 187 2,861 
			  Broadheath Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 27 848 
			  Clovelly Bay Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 43 868 
			  Coham Bridge Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 34 875 
			  Forest Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 34 880 
			  Great Wood Rural article 4(9b) No 1,300 51 722 
			  Hartland Point Rural article 4(9b) No 1,700 57 958 
			  Heanton Rural article 4(9b) No 1,900 58 1,110 
			  Holsworthy Rural article 4(9b) No 2,800 57 1,467 
			  Kenwith Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 47 955 
			  Melbury Rural article 4(9b) No 1,800 65 1,044 
			  Morice Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 36 939 
			  Northam Central Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 44 781 
			  Northam North Rural article 4(9b) No 1,800 89 936 
			  Northam West Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 65 670 
			  Orchard Hill Rural article 4(9b) No 1,300 33 674 
			  Rolle Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 40 954 
			  Stafford Rural article 4(9b) No 1,300 35 725 
			  Tamarside Rural article 4(9b) No 1,400 51 813 
			  Torrington Rural article 4(9b) No 4,700 157 2,629 
			  Waldon Rural article 4(9b) No 1,400 51 866 
			  Westward Ho Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 95 809 
			  Winkleigh Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 41 892 
			 West Devon Bere Ferrers Rural article 4(9b) No 3,000 104 1,676 
			  Bridestowe Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 41 884 
			  Buckland Monachorum Rural article 4(9b) No 3,600 74 2,000 
			  Burrator Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 58 917 
			  Chagford Rural article 4(9b) No 1,400 38 753 
			  Courtenay Rural article 4(9b) No 1,700 38 951 
			  Drewsteignton Rural article 4(9b) No 1,400 29 780 
			  Exbourne Rural article 4(9b) No 1,000 30 599 
			  Hatherleigh Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 70 956 
			  Lew Valley Rural article 4(9b) No 1,400 42 830 
			  Lydford Rural article 4(9b) No 1,800 82 1,119 
			  Mary Tavy Rural article 4(9b) No 1,700 50 982 
			  Milton Ford Rural article 4(9b) No 1,400 44 852 
			  North Tawton Rural article 4(9b) No 1,600 43 893 
			  Okehampton Rural article 4(9b) No 4,700 126 2,645 
			  South Tawton Rural article 4(9b) No 1,200 36 671 
			  Tamarside Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 50 894 
			  Tavistock North Rural article 4(9b) No 4,600 160 2,698 
			  Tavistock South Rural article 4(9b) No 5,800 172 3,150 
			  Thrushel Rural article 4(9b) No 1,500 56 883 
			  Walkham Rural article 4(9b) No 2,900 103 1,744 
			 Plymouth Budshead Industrial article 4(5) Yes 12,900 783 7,144 
			  Compton Industrial article 4(5) No 11,000 463 6,461 
			  Drake Industrial article 4(5) No 12,400 770 7,369 
			  Efford Industrial article 4(5) No 12,700 649 7,359 
			  Estover Industrial article 4(5) No 16,400 512 9,496 
			  Ham Industrial article 4(5) Yes 12,000 816 6,781 
			  Honicknowle Industrial article 4(5) No 13,000 642 6,882 
			  Keyham Industrial article 4(5) Yes 14,100 933 9,067 
			  Mount Gould Industrial article 4(5) No 10,600 687 6,507 
			  St Budeaux Industrial article 4(5) No 12,500 625 6,893 
			  St Peter Industrial article 4(5) Yes 11,900 1,209 7,031 
			  Southway Industrial article 4(5) No 14,200 602 8,828 
			  Stoke Industrial article 4(5) No 12,700 827 7,475 
			  Sutton Industrial article 4(5) No 10,600 853 6,212 
			  Trelawny Industrial article 4(5) No 10,300 402 5,556 
			 Torbay Blatchcombe Urban article 4(7) No 10,300 516 5,496 
			  Cockington-with-Chelston Urban article 4(7) No 10,300 363 5,718 
			  Furzeham-with-Churston Urban article 4(7) No 9,100 317 4,530 
			  St Peter's-with-St Mary's Urban article 4(7) No 10,000 442 5,395 
			  Tormohun Urban article 4(7) Yes 10,400 718 6,099 
			  Torwood Urban article 4(7) No 9,500 611 5,202 
			 West Somerset Aville Vale Rural article 4(9b) No 700 22 341 
			  Dulverton and Brushford Rural article 4(9b) No 1,900 34 970 
			  Exmoor Rural article 4(9b) No 800 20 492 
			  Haddon Rural article 4(9b) No 900 40 547 
			  Holnicote Rural article 4(9b) No 700 18 405 
			  Old Cleeve Rural article 4(9b) No 2,000 57 989 
			  Porlock and Oare Rural article 4(9b) No 1,400 39 690 
			  Quarme Rural article 4(9b) No 900 26 504 
		
	
	1 Population estimates were made by DTI.

Project Sponsorship

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which of her Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.

Patricia Hewitt: In line with the Government's commitment in its response to the Sixth Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 will be disclosed in departmental Annual Reports.

EU Structural Funding

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2002, ref. 44277/44278, what percentage of the population of (a) each NUTS 2 area and (b) each shire county, unitary authority London borough or metropolitan borough which is not terminous with a NUTS 2 area lies within an area holding EU objective 2 status.

Alan Johnson: The information requested is available for NUTS areas 1–4, and has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

EU Structural Funding

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) amount and (b) proportion of the current overall EU Objective 2 budget for the UK has been (i) committed and (ii) spent in each of the UK Objective 2 regions.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 10 April 2002
	The information requested is not held centrally.
	As soon as the information has been collated I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of that letter in the Libraries of the House.

EU Structural Funding

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the objectives are of the Insolvency Service;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the development of the Insolvency Service's research function, including its role in (a) policy formulation and (b) operational strategy formulation.

Melanie Johnson: The Insolvency Service, in its corporate Plan 2001–04, includes the objective to "develop policy and legislative solutions needed to support and underpin a modern commercial and financial infrastructure and which reflect both national and global changes in economic and business dynamics, and perceptions and expectations of society".
	In addition, the Insolvency Service undertakes or commissions research to inform both the development of policy and the formulation of operational strategy.

Melanie Johnson: The Insolvency Service objectives are set out in its published Corporate Plan 2001–04 a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Merchant Ships (Steel)

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will ban the use of grade A steel for the construction of merchant ships.
	(2)  if she will reappraise the use of high tensile steel in the construction of merchant vessels.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	The toughness grades of steel used in shipbuilding are regulated by the International Association of Classification Societies through their unified requirement UR S6. The current version of UR S6 permits limited use of grade A mild steel, as well as grade AH high tensile steel, in structures contributing to overall strength.
	This standard limits the use of grades A and AH steels according to their rolled thickness and mean air temperatures in expected area of operation, requiring grades with a higher standard of fracture toughness for high thickness and low temperature.
	There are no plans to ban the use of grade A mild steel or to reappraise the use of high tensile steels for merchant ship construction, given the fracture toughness now achieved with grades A and AH.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Human Rights Act

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases have been brought against his Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what has been the cost in (a) legal fees to defend cases and (b) compensation payments.

Michael Wills: We do not collect central records of all cases in which the Human Rights Act 1998 is relied on. Human rights are now integrated in the general law and are rarely the sole basis for a challenge. We do monitor centrally those cases which we consider may be of particular significance to this department. We have recorded 29 cases to date.
	We do not collect separate information centrally about the costs to public funds, legal fees or compensation payments in cases which include a human rights issue. In most cases it will be difficult to identify costs referable to the human rights element.

Parliamentary Questions

Edward Garnier: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he will answer the quesion tabled by the hon. and learned Member for Harborough on 26 February regarding the closure of courts.

Michael Wills: I am sorry that your question tabled on 26 February was not answered. You ask how many (a) county courts, (b) crown courts and (c) magistates' courts have been closed in each year since 1 May 1997. Based on the latest survey information the numbers of courts closed since that date are:
	
		
			 Year Magistrates' Courts County Courts Crown Court Centres 
		
		
			 19971 16 7 0 
			 1998 24 6 0 
			 1999 8 2 0 
			 2000 13 4 0 
			 2001 29 1 0 
			 20022 0 0 0 
			 Totals 90 20 0 
		
	
	1 from 1 May 1997
	2 to date of answer
	Specific details of the Magistrates' courthouses and county courts closed are given in the attached tables.
	
		Court Closures 1997–2002
		
			 Court Date of Closure Post Closure Jurisidiction 
		
		
			 Andover2 30 June 1997 Basingstoke, Salisbury, Winchester 
			 Braintree+ 1 December 1997 Chelmsford, Harlow and Colchester 
			 Bishop's Stortford 1 December 1997 Cambridge, Harlow and Hitchin 
			 Alnwick+ 15 December 1997 Morpeth 
			 Blyth 15 December 1997 Morpeth 
			 Berwick upon Tweed 1 15 December 1997 Amalgamated with Morpeth 
			 Bridlington+ 24 December 1997 Scarborough 
			 Rochdale 7 September 1998 Oldham and Rawtenstall 
			 Holywell* 7 September 1998 Rhyl and Chester. * (Caller Office formally closed wef 17 January 2002) 
			 Camborne and Redruth+ 24 December 1998 Penzance 
			 Hemel Hempstead+ 24 December 1998 Aylesbury, Luton and Watford 
			 West Bromwich 24 December 1998 Birmingham, Dudley and Walsall 
			 Loughborough 31 December 1998 Derby, Leicester and Nottingham 
			 Corby+ (local sittings on trial basis to July 1999) 1 March 1999 Kettering and Peterborough 
			 Bridgewater+ 20 December 1999 Taunton 
			 Great Yarmouth+ 31 January 2000 Lowestoft and Norwich 
			 Grays Thurrock 31 January 2000 Basildon 
			 Lichfield 3 July 2000 Burton on Trent, Stafford, Tamworth and Walsall 
			 Caerphilly 30 November 2000 Cardiff and Blackwood 
			 Workington 2 January 2001 Whitehaven 
			 Chepstow+ 1 April 2002 Newport, Hereford and Gloucester 
			 Monmouth 1 April 2002 Newport, Hereford and Gloucester 
		
	
	218 courts left when Chepstow and Monmouth courts closed.
	1 courts with caller office status
	2 courts where Circuit Administrators have undertaken to continue local District Judge sittings in suitable accommodation subject to demand
	
		Magistrates' Courts
		
			 Magistrates' Courthouse Closure Date 
		
		
			 Bromsgrove 31 May 1997 
			 Ledbury 31 May 1997 
			 Hebburn 5 June 1997 
			 South Shields (Kepple Street) 5 June 1997 
			 Bargoed Chippenham (Market Place) 30 June 1997 
			 Monmouth 30 June 1997 
			 Pontlottyn 30 June 1997 
			 Pontypool 30 June 1997 
			 Ashton under Lyne (Manchester Road) 31 August 1997 
			 Duckinsfield 31 August 1997 
			 Thorne 31 August 1997 
			 Braintree 31 December 1997 
			 Clacton on Sea 31 December 1997 
			 Saffron Walden 31 December 1997 
			 Stokesley 31 December 1997 
			 Malton 6 February 1998 
			 Appleby 31 March 1998 
			 Bishop's Stortford 31 March 1998 
			 Chertsey 31 March 1998 
			 Farnham 31 March 1998 
			 Hatfield 31 March 1998 
			 Hitchin 31 March 1998 
			 Market Rasen 31 March 1998 
			 Marlborough Street 31 March 1998 
			 Oxted 31 March 1998 
			 Lutterworth 31 July 1998 
			 Ripon 1 August 1998 
			 Barnard Castle 31 December 1998 
			 Clerkenwell 31 December 1998 
			 Corwen 31 December 1998 
			 Diss 31 December 1998 
			 Felixstowe 31 December 1998 
			 Haverhill 31 December 1998 
			 Lytham 31 December 1998 
			 Newmarket 31 December 1998 
			 Saxmundham 31 December 1998 
			 Sheerness 31 December 1998 
			 Stowmarket 31 December 1998 
			 West Malling 31 December 1998 
			 Abingdon 31 March 1999 
			 Christchuch 31 March 1999 
			 Henley on Thames 31 March 1999 
			 Morley 31 March 1999 
			 Pudsey 31 March 1999 
			 Windsor 31 March 1999 
			 Stow on the Wold 30 June 1999 
			 March 31 December 1999 
			 Apmthill 1 January 2000 
			 Biggleswade 1 January 2000 
			 Apmthill 1 January 2000 
			 Dunstable 1 January 2000 
			 Leighton Buzzard 1 January 2000 
			 Lichfield 31 March 2000 
			 Keighley 1 April 2000 
			 Keswick 30 April 2000 
			 Appleby 31 May 2000 
			 Windermere 31 May 2000 
			 Wigton 31 May 2000 
			 Gravesend 9 June 2000 
			 Wootton Bassett 2 October 2000 
			 Abergele 31 December 2000 
			 Alfreton 1 January 2001 
			 Ashbourne 1 January 2001 
			 Bakewell 1 January 2001 
			 Matlock 1 January 2001 
			 Leigh 31 March 2001 
			 Middleton 31 March 2001 
			 Leek 31 March 2001 
			 Worcester 31 March 2001 
			 Macclesfield Park Green 1 April 2001 
			 Warrington Patten Hall 1 April 2001 
			 Bideford 30 April 2001 
			 Exmouth 30 April 2001 
			 Kingsbridge 30 April 2001 
			 South Molton 30 April 2001 
			 Teignmouth 30 April 2001 
			 Tavistock 30 April 2001 
			 Axminster 4 May 2001 
			 Tiverton 4 May 2001 
			 Newquay 30 June 2001 
			 Womborne 31 August 2001 
			 Southampton (Commercial Road) 31 August 2001 
			 Gillingham 30 September 2001 
			 Bridlington 9 November 2001 
			 Brough 9 November 2001 
			 Driffield 9 November 2001 
			 Hull (Guildhall) 9 November 2001 
			 Hull (Lowgate) 9 November 2001 
			 Pocklington 9 November 2001 
			 Withernsea 9 November 2001

Code of Practice on Access to Government Information

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what the recommended time is for departments to decide the results of an internal appeal under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Michael Wills: It is for individual bodies subject to the Code to make their own arrangements for the procedure used to review cases internally where information has been refused and the applicant has made a complaint. Appendix 5 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information Monitoring Report for the year 2000, published in September 2001, sets out the target times adopted by bodies subject to the Code for deciding the results of an internal appeal. The majority have adopted a target of 20 working days or less. The target for decision on an internal appeal within this Department is 20 working days.

Freedom of Information

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will place in the Library copies of each version of the guidance distributed to officials to advise them on how to answer subject access requests under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Michael Wills: A circular (IT Security News) was issued to staff in November 1999 about the Data Protection Act. I have placed a copy of IT Security News, Issue 6 in the House Library. No separate guidance has been issued since then. I expect to be able to make an announcement on central guidance on handling subject access requests shortly.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor will reply to the letter to him dated 18 February for the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. Wellings.

Michael Wills: The Lord Chancellor wrote in reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton's letter of 18 February on 27 March 2002.

Project Sponsorship

Alan Beith: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which of his Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.

Rosie Winterton: In line with the Government's commitment in its response to the Sixth Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 will be disclosed in departmental Annual Reports.

Fraud (Dentists)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many dentists have received custodian sentences since 1997 arising from a conviction for fraud against the NHS.

Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply.
	Since 1997, of all National Health Service fraud and corruption cases involving dental contractors, there have been eight cases, which have been successfully prosecuted. Of these five received a custodial sentence. There are currently six cases awaiting court proceedings and 34 alleged cases of fraud and corruption under investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Service.

SCOTLAND

Catering Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by her Department in each of the last four years.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.
	In buildings where the department is the sole occupier, there are no in-house canteen or catering services. In accommodation shared with the Scottish Executive, catering services are provided by that department as the major occupier.

Equipment Leasing

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the equipment leasing arrangements entered into by her Department in each of the last four years; and what the cost to public funds in each case is.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.
	No equipment leasing arrangements have been made by the Department since that date.

Accommodation Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was of hotel accommodation for departmental staff working away from home in each of the last four years.

Helen Liddell: The information is not available in the form requested.

Accountancy Contracts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the contracts agreed by her Department with the five largest accountancy firms since May 1997; and what was the total value of contracts with each.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.
	The Department has had no contracts with accountancy firms since that date.

Energy Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on energy costs incurred by her Department in each of the last 10 years.

Helen Liddell: The information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

PFI/PPPs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the (a) private finance initiative and (b) public private partnership projects which have been delayed.

Helen Liddell: My Department has no private finance initiative or public private partnership projects.

Criminal Damage

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost has been of criminal damage to her Department's buildings in each of the last four years.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.
	There have been no cases of criminal damage to the Department's buildings since that date.

Secondments

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members of staff were employed by her Department on secondment from the private sector in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001.

Helen Liddell: No staff employed by my Department were seconded from the private sector between 1999 and 2001.

Secondments

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members of staff were employed by the Scotland Office on secondment from non-Governmental organisations in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001.

Helen Liddell: One member of staff was seconded to the Scotland Office from a non-governmental organisation in 2001.

Project Sponsorship

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which of her Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.

Helen Liddell: In line with the Government's commitment in its response to the Sixth Report from the Committee on Standards on Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 will be disclosed in departmental Annual Reports.

Crèche Facilities

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what crèche facilities are provided by her Department; and at what cost.

Helen Liddell: No crèche facilities are provided by my Department.

PFI/PPPs

John Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General if she will list the (a) private finance initiative and (b) public private partnership projects which have been delayed.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Crèche Facilities

John Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General what crèche facilities are provided by her Department; and at what cost.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Criminal Damage

John Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General what the cost has been of criminal damage to her Department's buildings in each of the last four years.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Value for Money

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General, pursuant to her answer of 19 March 2002, Official Report, column 181W, on value for money, what specific measures she has put in place to provide for efficient operation and a contribution towards securing better value for money.

Lynda Clark: My office, like the rest of the Scotland Office, has been in existence for less than three years and, in developing suitable working systems, officials have sought to ensure that the work is done in a way which makes the most efficient use of staff and other resources.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Government Agencies and Quangos

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 876W, what assessment he has made of (a) the total number of Government agencies and quangos operating in each of the regions and (b) their annual budgets.

Christopher Leslie: In respect of (a), I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green on Wednesday 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 1070W.
	In respect of (b), information on the total gross expenditure of individual non-departmental public bodies, and information on the funding of this, is set out in the annual publication "Public Bodies", copies of which can be found in the Libraries of the House. Information on annual budgets of executive agencies is set out in each Agency's Annual Report and Accounts.

Secondments

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many members of staff were employed by the Cabinet office on secondment from non-Governmental organisations in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001.

Christopher Leslie: The number of secondees employed in the Cabinet Office from non-governmental organisations for the period 1 April 1999 to date are as follows:
	
		
			 Period Number of Staff 
		
		
			 1 April 1999–31 March 2000 41 
			 1 April 2000–31 March 2001 37 
			 1 April 2001 to date 35 
		
	
	Note: This data only includes Governnment Offices for the Regions for 2001–02 as they joined the Cabinet Office in June 2001.

Secondments

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people employed by his Department under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseekers' allowance or other benefits.

John Prescott: Cabinet Office.
	Three people employed by the Cabinet Office, initially under the New Deal for Young People (one in 1998 and two in 2000), have subsequently been employed by the Cabinet Office on permanent contracts following fair and open competition. We do not hold information on people employed under the scheme who have not left the Department.
	Cabinet Offices Agencies and Government Offices of the Regions
	(i) Government Car and Despatch Agency
	No staff employed by the GCDA under the New Deal arrangements have subsequently been employed by the GCDA on permanent contracts. GCDA do not hold information on people employed under the scheme who have now left the Department.
	(ii) Central Office of Information
	COI have not employed anyone under the New Deal for Young People, However, the Department has employed one person under the New Deal for Lone Parents who was subsequently employed by the Department on a permanent contract.
	(iii) Government Offices for the Regions
	No staff employed by the GO under the New Deal arrangements have subsequently been employed by the Government Offices on permanent contracts. GO do not hold information on people employed under the scheme who have now left the Department.

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people have been employed by his Department in each of the last three years under (a) the New Deal for Young People, (b) the New Deal for the Over 50s and (c) the New Deal for Lone Parents, and at what cost, listed by category, to public funds.

John Prescott: Cabinet Office Since April 1999 11 people have been employed by the Cabinet Office under the New Deal arrangements and are categorised as follows:
	
		
			  Young People Lone Parents Over 50's 
		
		
			 1999 4 – – 
			 2000 4 1 – 
			 2001 2 – – 
			 2002 – – – 
		
	
	The average cost per placement was £17,833 (which is made up of basic salary, Employers National Insurance and Pensions Contributions).
	Cabinet Office Agencies and Government Offices of the Regions
	(i) Government Car and Despatch Agency
	The Government Car and Despatch Agency has employed 1 person under the New Deal for Young People for one week in 2001.
	The cost of this placement was £220 inclusive of Employers National Insurance and Pensions Contributions.
	(ii) Central Office of Information
	Since the New Deal began in COI, the Department has employed one person. This person was employed under the New Deal for Lone Parents.
	The cost of this placement was £7,320 (which is made up of part-time basic salary, Employers National Insurance and Pensions Contributions.
	(iii) Government Offices of the Regions
	The Government Offices for the English Regions have been taking people under unsubsidised New Deal arrangements since October 2000. Since October 2000 the GOs have employed 4 people.
	
		
			  Young People Lone Parents Over 50's 
		
		
			 1999 – – – 
			 2000 2 – – 
			 2001 2 – – 
			 2000 – – – 
		
	
	1 The average cost per placement was £17,045 (which is made up of basic salary and employers NI).

Criminal Damage

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost has been of criminal damage to his Department's buildings in each of the last four years.

Christopher Leslie: Figures requested are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1998–99 1,600 
			 1999–2000 2,000 
			 2000–01 1,100 
			 2001–02 1,000 
		
	
	1 There has been no lasting damage done to the fabric of any of the department's buildings.

Performance Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what new initiatives his Department has taken in 2001–02 to assist in achieving its Public Service Agreement targets.

Christopher Leslie: Progress on/against PSA targets will be reported and published in the Cabinet Office's annual Departmental Report for 2002.

Special Advisers

Simon Burns: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many special advisers there were in his Department; and what their salaries were in each of the last five years.

John Prescott: At 9 April 2002, there were four special advisers in my office, including two part-timers.
	On salaries, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 10 April, Official Report, column 11W.

Ministerial Travel

Simon Burns: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times Ministers in his Department have travelled abroad at taxpayers' expense since March 200l; what countries they visited; and what the total cost of each visit was.

John Prescott: Since 1999 this Government has published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government has also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. The 1999 list contained information on all such visits undertaken from 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Details for travel undertaken in the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year.
	All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Project Sponsorship

Alan Beith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which of his Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.

Christopher Leslie: In line with the Government's commitment in its response to the Sixth Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 will be disclosed in departmental Annual Reports.

Magistrates

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many serving magistrates live in (a) St. Helens, South constituency and (b) St. Helens Metropolitan Borough.

Christopher Leslie: I have been asked to reply. 
	My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who is responsible for the appointment of magistrates in Merseyside, has provided the following information.
	There are 50 magistrates serving on the St. Helens Bench who live in the St. Helens South constituency.
	There are 93 magistrates serving on the St. Helens Bench who live in the Metropolitan Borough of St. Helens which covers the constituencies of St. Helens North and St. Helens South.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Pensions

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to compel pension trustee boards to appoint independent chairmen.

Nick Brown: We have no plans to compel pension trustee boards to appoint independent chairmen.
	We believe that requiring independent chairmen for trustee boards would discourage employers from continuing to provide occupational pension schemes, would be difficult to implement in practice, and would make little difference to the way schemes are run.

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money has been spent to date on the New Deal for Young People.

Nick Brown: Up to March 2001 £1,063 billion was spent on the New Deal for Young People, of which £860 million was funded from the Windfall Tax and £203 million from the Department's own resources. Forecast expenditure for 2001–02 will be published in the Departmental Report in May this year.

IT Projects

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the IT Projects being undertaken by his Department; and which companies have been awarded the contracts.

Nick Brown: holding reply 26 March 2002
	Our main IT suppliers are:
	EDS—for our Employment Service modernisation programme;
	Affinity, (led by EDS with IBM UK, PricewaterhouseCoopers and AT Kearney)—for our Department for Work and Pensions modernisation programme (major contracts include Child Support Reform, Strategic Outsourcing and some elements of the Department's Early Office Infrastructure programme);
	Arcway, (led by BT Syntegra with Bill Information Systems and Schlumberger Sema)—for the new network needed to support our modernisation programme.

Incomes

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the latest figures on households below average incomes to be published.

Alistair Darling: Today I have published Households Below Average Income for 1994–95 to 2000–01. This is a report published under National Statistics arrangements with results that cover Great Britain. Copies have been placed in the Library.
	The report shows the position during the financial year 2000–01. Consequently, it does not reflect the full impact of policies introduced part way through that year, or the changes introduced since—for instance the Children's Tax Credit or enhancements to tax credits and benefits made in 2001.
	Nonetheless the report shows that this Government's policies are working. The new economic stability has delivered strong income growth since 1996–97 that is consistent across the whole income distribution. Furthermore our priority to target help to those most in need has delivered real improvements for those on the lowest incomes. There have been significant falls in the numbers of people below "absolute" low-income lines (1996–97 low-income thresholds in real terms). There are now 1.4 million fewer children and 1.1 million fewer pensioners below 60 per cent of 1996–97 median income in real terms (after housing costs).
	Against this backdrop of rising prosperity across the income distribution, we are still reversing the long-term trend of rising relative income poverty for children that we inherited. There are now around half a million fewer children living in households below 60 per cent of contemporary median income.

Jobcentre-Plus Offices

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the impact of the decision to remove screens from the pilot Pathfinder offices; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: holding reply 25 March 2002
	The Pathfinder offices are delivering the new Jobcentre Plus service in a predominantly unscreened environment. In every Jobcentre Plus area there remains screened provision for dealing with those customers and transactions known to give rise to particular risk.
	Fifty-six Jobcentre Plus Pathfinder offices are open and operating effectively—with positive feedback from staff and customers. For each of these offices a risk assessment has been conducted and its recommendations implemented in full. These assessments will be regularly reviewed in light of experience.

Pensioner Poverty

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to tackle pensioner poverty.

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures he is taking to ensure that pensioners share in the nation's prosperity.

Ian McCartney: We are committed to tackling pensioner poverty. In 2001–02 around £5 billion extra has been spent on pensioners as a result of our policies since 1997. In 2002–03 this will rise to £6 billion a year. This includes £2.5 billion more on the poorest third of pensioners.
	This government introduced the Minimum Income Guarantee and is committed to raising this in line with earnings throughout this Parliament, ensuring that pensioners share in rising prosperity. From April, around 1.8 million of the poorest pensioner households will be over £1,000 a year better off in real terms as a result of the Government's tax benefit reforms.
	From 2003 the Pension Credit will ensure that it pays to have saved, with those entitled standing to gain an average of around £400 a year.

Advertising/Public Relations

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list each (a) public relations and (b) advertising firm that has been employed by his Department since 1997, indicating the (i) subject area and (ii) campaign they worked on in each case.

Nick Brown: The Department of Work and Pensions is a new department formed in June 2001. Since that time the following PR and advertising agencies have been employed in the subject areas and on the campaigns indicated:
	
		
			 PR company Subject area and campaign  
		
		
			 Geronimo New Deal/Age Positive 
			 Media Moguls (ethnic specialists) New Deal 
		
	
	
		
			 Advertising agency Subject area and campaign 
		
		
			 Publicis New Deal for Disabled People 
			  A national campaign to launch NDDP, covering press advertising in national and regional titles, supported by a help line, website and publicity material. 
			 St Lukes New Deal 50 Plus 
			  A regional campaign to encourage more of the over-50s into work and to increase their awareness of the local help available. 
			 St Lukes New Deal 25 Plus 
			  A national campaign to inform the public about changes to the programme through radio advertising, a video and printed materials, supported by research. 
			 Ogilvy & Mather Work Incentives 
			  Advertising campaign on local radio to raise awareness of the range of financial initiatives available to those moving from benefits into employment if they meet the qualifying criteria. 
			  Delaney Lund Knox Warren & 
			 Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel   Pension Education  
			  A publicity campaign to encourage people to save for their retirement and understand the pension options available to them. 
			 Ogilvy & Mather Winter Fuel Payments 
			  Information for people aged 60 plus and advisers about winter fuel payments and activity reminding them to claim and telling them how to claim for winter 2002 and relevant previous winters. 
			   
			 D'Arcy Targeting Fraud 
			  A national advertising campaign on television, radio, press and posters to deter dishonest behaviour, reinforced by regional press advertising showing that benefit fraudsters are regularly caught and punished. 
			  D'Arcy   Disability Discrimination Act Awareness  
			  A national, regional and trade press advertising campaign to raise the public's awareness of the DDA and specifically to encourage service providers to ensure that disabled people have access to their services.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the Public Service Agreement targets which have been revised and those which have been introduced since the publication of the 2001 departmental report.

Nick Brown: Following machinery of Government changes in June 2001, the Public Service Agreement targets for the Department of Social Security were carried forward with the addition of the target shown below which was transferred from the Department for Education and Employment.
	"A continued reduction in the number of unemployed people over the age of 18 over the three years to 2004, taking account of the economic cycle."

DEFENCE

Defence Medical Agencies

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with the quinquennial review of the defence medical agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: As indicated in my written answer on 15 December 2000, Official Report, columns 274W–275W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Coaker) the Review has covered the functions and organisation of the Ministry of Defence's four medical agencies—the Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA), the Defence Dental Agency (DDA), the Defence Medical Training Organisation (DMTO) and the Medical Supplies Agency (MSA)—and other aspects of medical provision. I announced the results of the initial phase of work in my written answer of 17 October 2001, Official Report, columns 1223W–1224W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth (Mr. Wright).
	The Review Team has now completed its work, and I am today placing a summary of its conclusions in the Library of the House. In brief, the main points are that:
	There must be a clearer focus on delivery of the two key Defence medical outputs—deployable operational medical capability, and timely appropriate healthcare for Service personnel;
	Accountability for the delivery of these outputs by both central and single-Service authorities must be defined unambiguously, as part of a clear tri-Service strategy and plan;
	The Surgeon General (SG), working to the Vice Chief of Defence Staff, will be empowered to undertake effective oversight and direction of the DMS in meeting the key output requirements, including those elements which remain under single-Service management;
	A stronger partnership will be established between the DMS and the National Health Service;
	Management capabilities throughout the DMS will be strengthened, drawing on expertise from the parent Services and, where relevant, the NHS;
	The Defence Medical Services will be re-aligned and restructured to focus more effectively on the two key Defence medical outputs. The DSCA will be disestablished on 31 March 2003, with its training-related functions transferring to an expanded medical training agency, and healthcare commissioning being undertaken by a new group within the Surgeon General's staff. The MSA has now transferred into the Defence Logistics Organisation as of 1 April 2002.
	The review has provided an important opportunity to take stock of the progress that has been made since the announcement of the New Strategy for the DMS at the end of 1998. It is no surprise that it has concluded that while much has been done over the last three years there are further steps to be taken—and changes to be made—that will help the process of restoring DMS capability and ensuring that key Defence medical outputs are delivered. The Government is committed to achieving those aims and, subject to the normal consultative process, to implementing the outcome of the review.

Defence Medical Agencies

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence What progress has been made with the quinquennial review of the medical agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: I am pleased to say that the review team have completed the first phase of its studies. As indicated in my written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) of 15 December 2000, Official Report, column 275W, the team has covered medical arrangements for personnel in Germany and Northern Ireland; and the inter-relationships between primary and secondary care as well as the functions and organisation of the Ministry of Defence's four medical agencies—the Defence Secondary Care Agency, the Defence Dental Agency, the Defence Medical Training Organisation and the Medical Supplies Agency.
	I have endorsed the broad lines of the review team's report on the first phase of its studies and have agreed a package of further work to underpin and confirm its provisional conclusions. A paper summarising the main features of the team's initial report and the phase 2 work, which will take place between now and the end of the year, is being placed in the Library of the House. As the paper indicates, this further work will result in a detailed report which will form the basis of full consultation.

Property Protection

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence What new measures his Department took in 2001–02 to protect its property from theft or damage.

Lewis Moonie: holding reply Wednesday 10 April 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 February 2002, (Official Report, column 682) which gave details of new and existing measures to deter and detect fraud and theft. It is a prime feature of delegated line management responsibility to operate procedures protecting assets from theft and damage. These procedures are always subject to review. They are enhanced where possible through central initiatives directed at the deterrence and detection of fraud and theft and the introduction of resource accounting arrangements. Recent developments include the promulgation of a policy statement on fraud and theft and the development of a programme of fraud and theft awareness training across the department. Key controls, such as the maintenance of asset registers requiring a physical description of assets, spot checks and random searches, authorisation to remove assets from sites and physical security are underpinned by published guidance and direction.

Joint Services Group

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Joint Services Group was formed; what its mission is; how many soldiers are assigned to it; what ranks are represented in its leadership; and to whom its commanding officer reports.

Adam Ingram: I am withholding this information under Exemption 1a of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (information whose disclosure would harm national security or defence).

Warships

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his written answer of 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 562W, on warships, if the companies mentioned will be involved with nuclear material as part of their contract; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Babcock Naval Services Limited at the Clyde and Devonport Management Limited at Devonport will be required to provide direct support to Royal Navy nuclear powered submarines and this will involve nuclear material. Both of these companies are already engaged in work of this type.

Celebrations

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements his Department has made to celebrate (a) St. Patrick's Day, (b) St. George's Day, (c) St. Andrew's Day and (d) Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee; and how his Department celebrated St. David's Day.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 11 March 2002
	The hon. Member is referred to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Tim Yeo) on 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 58W, in respect of her Department's responsibility for supporting and facilitating the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations.
	The Home Office flies the Union flag on St. George's Day and St. David's Day, and this year will also be flying the flag on Coronation Day—2 June 2002.
	Staff will benefit from an additional bank holiday which will take place on Monday 3 June 2002 to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
	The Home Office issues a calendar of religious and cultural festivals each year and the Saints' days are included in that. Managers are encouraged to be flexible where possible and to make a reasonable accommodation for staff wishing to take leave for religious observance and festivals.

HOME DEPARTMENT

James Ashley

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral statement of the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) of 11 February 2002, Official Report, columns 49–54, on James Ashley, what progress has been made in conducting disciplinary proceedings in relation to the police officers involved in the shooting of James Ashley.

John Denham: One superintendent and two chief inspectors are facing a number of disciplinary charges. One officer has obtained leave for judicial review of his suspension. All three officers are seeking leave for judicial review of the chief constable's decision to proceed with disciplinary charges. It is unlikely that any disciplinary hearings will take place until those matters have been resolved.

Court Hearings

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the performance of contractors in delivering prisoners to magistrates courts in the West Midlands in good time for court hearings.

Beverley Hughes: Premier Prison Services, who operate the court escort contract in the west Midlands and mid Wales, are required to deliver prisoners to magistrates courts in their area 30 minutes before court start time. In the six months to February 2002 over 20,000 prisoners have been escorted by Premier Prison Services to those courts and of these approximately 82 per cent. have arrived by the time stated in their contract. A further seven per cent. have arrived before court start time.
	All failures to meet the obligations placed on Premier Prison Services by the contract are examined by the Prison Service court escort monitor for the area and, where they are considered to be at fault, penalty points are imposed. If these exceed a prescribed level then financial remedies may be applied. Not all late deliveries are the direct fault of Premier Prison Services. Late discharges from prison, long journeys occasioned by the general population pressures on the prison estate and circumstances beyond the control of the parties involved may all be contributory factors in any individual case.

Sex Offender Treatment Programmes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on availability of sex offender treatment programmes in prison.

Beverley Hughes: There are five versions of the accredited Sex Offender Treatment Programmes (SOTP) delivered in prisons: a core programme for all except those with learning difficulties and those at low risk of re-offending; an adapted programme for those with learning difficulties; an extended programme for those at high risk of re-offending; a rolling programme for those at low risk of re-offending; and a booster programme for those who have completed other versions of the programme and are preparing for release.
	The Prison Service's targets for numbers of prisoners completing versions of the programme in 2002–03 and 2003–04 are 950 and 1,240 respectively. Versions of the programme are currently delivered at 25 prisons. This is planned to rise to 27 prisons in 2002–03 and 28 in 2003–04. Prisoners may need to be transferred in order to undertake the programme.
	It is not possible to be precise as to whether provision exactly meets demand. For example, the programme is also delivered to those serving sentences for other offences but who have previous histories of sexual offending; and some offenders have to be excluded from treatment temporarily or permanently because clinical assessment at the start of the programme is that they are unlikely to be responsive. However, the Prison Service keeps the programme under review to ensure its availability to all eligible prisoners with sentences long enough to complete it.
	Premier Prison Services, who operate the court escort contract in the West Midlands and Mid Wales, are required to deliver prisoners to magistrates'courts in their area 30 minutes before court start time. In the six months to February 2002 over 20,000 prisoners have been escorted by Premier Prison Services to those courts and of these approximately 82 per cent. have arrived by the time stated in their contract. A further seven per cent. have arrived before the court start time.
	All failures to meet the obligations placed on Premier Prison Services by the contract are examined by the Prison Service Court Escort Monitor for the area and, where they are considered to be at fault, penalty points are imposed. If these exceed a prescribed level then financial remedies may be applied. Not all late deliveries are the direct fault of Premier Prison Services. Late discharges from prison, long journeys occasioned by the general population pressures on the prison estate and circumstances beyond the control of the parties involved may all be contributory factors in any individual case.

Prisons

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on overcrowding in prisons.

Beverley Hughes: At the end of February 2002, a total of 13,963 prisoners were held in overcrowded conditions. This is 20 per cent. of the prisoner population.
	Most overcrowding is attributable to the numbers held two in a cell designed for one, commonly known as doubling. Within the total overcrowding figure above, 12,516 prisoners were held doubled. The average rate of doubling for the current year to the end of February is 17 per cent. which remains below the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) target for 2001–02 18 per cent or less.
	Data are provisional and subject to validation by prisons.

Prisons

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to address overcrowding in women's prisons.

Beverley Hughes: The female prison population on 15 March 2002 was 4,229. This was 146 below the total certified operational capacity of 4,375 for the same day. The Government sets no target for the prison population as it is for the courts to determine who is sent to prison. The Government will provide the places necessary to accommodate safely and securely those sentenced by the courts. New prison capacity is opening this year for female prisoners. Buckley Hall, a 350 place prison near Rochdale, will change function shortly from male to female use. Female capacity will increase by 80 places later this year when two ready use units are opened at Morton Hall in Lincolnshire. A further 810 places will be provided by 2004, in new prisons at Ashford (near Heathrow) and at Peterborough.

Prisons

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what aftercare is made available to women prisoners with mental health problems after they have been released.

Jacqui Smith: The Care Programme Approach (CPA), which is intended to address the health and social care needs of individual service users, applies to those women with mental health problems who leave prison in the same way that it applies to other mental health service users. It is intended to deliver care through a care plan to meet the individual needs of the service user, and is an effective co-ordination process. Most women prisoners with a serious mental illness should leave prison on enhanced CPA.
	Women prisoners with mental health problems should be able to access a full range of the community supports they need in order to promote their recovery and integration back into society through their CPA care co-ordinator or general practitioner. This should include housing, education, employment and leisure and the establishment of appropriate links with the benefits agency and probation service.

Prisons

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what ratio of prison officers to inmates is provided for (a) female and (b) male prisoners.

Beverley Hughes: On 31 January 2002, the ratio of prison officer grades to prisoner was—within public sector prisons:
	1:2.54—female prisoners;
	1:2.73—male prisoners,
	within privately managed prisons:
	1:2.18—male prisoners only.
	The definition of prison officer grades differs within the public and private sector. On 31 January 2002, no privately managed prison accommodated female prisoners.

Prisons

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if they Pay Review Board's recommendations for pay increases for prison offices will be met in full.

Beverley Hughes: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend (Huw Edwards) on 21 March 2002, Official Report, column 480W.

Timber

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the companies from which his Department has obtained timber and wood products and the total spent with each firm over the last five years.

Angela Eagle: Current data capture systems do not enable the information to be reported in the format requested. From April 2001 the Department has instructed procurement staff to record information on timber and timber-based purchases by volume per species but there have been difficulties in obtaining the data. The Department proposes to review its capture of information on timber and wood purchases once cross government guidelines have been agreed.

Knife Crime

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics his Department has collated on the incidence of knife crimes in Falmouth and Camborne.

John Denham: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Wandsworth Prison

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prison workshops are in use at Wandsworth Prison.

Beverley Hughes: Workshops currently in use at Wandsworth prison are a Laundry, Data Entry Shop, Brush Manufacturing Shop, Textile Shop, Tailoring Shop and Contract Services Workshop.

Wandsworth Prison

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates at Wandsworth Prison are working gin prison workshops (a) full-time and (b) part-time, as at 15 March 2002.

Beverley Hughes: 263 prisoners were employed in prison workshops at Wandsworth prison on 15 March 2002. Of these, 121 were employed full-time and 142 part-time.

Arrest Statistics

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests were made, broken down by police force area, in each year since 1997.

John Denham: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for South East Cambridgeshire (James Paice) on 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 1246W.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 February, Official Report, column 622W, if his Department is planning to apply for a special grant to pay for additional police officers and other exceptional additional costs which could not be met from within existing budgets for the Queen's Golden Jubilee; what the procedure is for applying for such a grant; how much money the Department anticipates requesting; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: Where it can be demonstrated that exceptional additional costs could not be met from existing police authority budgets or reserves it is open to forces to apply for a special grant. Any such application would be considered within existing Departmental provision for special grants.
	In general terms we would expect police authorities to meet the additional costs of policing Golden Jubilee events from within their existing budgets or reserves. Criteria for consideration of a special grant application were agreed in 2000 between the Home Office, Association of Chief Police Officers and Association of Police Authorities. Under those criteria police authorities are normally expected to meet additional costs up to 1 per cent. of the force budget set by the policy authority. Grant would be considered in relation to the balance of cost above that 1 per cent.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Department has spent on the Queen's Jubilee in each of the past three years; how it has been allocated; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: There was no Home Office expenditure in connection with the Golden Jubilee in 1999–2000. In 2000–01, £72,375.15 was spent on the administrative costs of setting up the Golden Jubilee Unit, which is co-ordinating the arrangements for the Jubilee celebrations
	Responsibility for the Golden Jubilee Unit was transferred to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport following the General Election. Funding had passed through the Home Office accounts in February 2002: up to that point £721,861.53 was spent by the Golden Jubilee Unit. This comprised £594,824 on the Unit's work in co-ordinating arrangements for the celebrations, £95,110 in grants and £31,927 on providing information about how to stage the jubilee events. Of the grant expenditure, the majority £50,000 was given to the "London String of Pearls" (as a contribution to the costs in opening up buildings to the public during Jubilee) and the rest to the Commonwealth Institute (to help towards the cost of its role in the planned national parade).

Yarl's Wood

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if prison officers were called to attend at Yarl's Wood during the recent riot.

Beverley Hughes: Yes. At the request of Group 4 and in accordance with the Prison Service's protocol with the Immigration and Nationality Department, prison officers were deployed to assist in restoring order at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre on 14 and 15 February 2002.

Wellingborough Prison

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change the number of prison officers at Wellingborough Prison attending prison visits.

Beverley Hughes: Management Consultancy Services (MCS) carried out a staffing and regimes review of Wellingborough Prison during October 2001. The MCS report contained recommendations about staffing levels required to supervise domestic visits. The report will now be discussed by MCS, management of the prison and the relevant staff associations.

Greater Manchester Police

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community police officers there are in Greater Manchester, broken down by constituency.

John Denham: Holding answer 19 March 2002
	The information in the table has been provided by the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (David Wilmot). The number of community police officers is shown for each police division. A breakdown by Parliamentary constituency is not available.
	
		
			 Division Community Police Officers 1 
		
		
			 North Manchester Division 54 
			 South Manchester Division 100 
			 The City of Salford Division 75 
			 Tamside Metropolitan Borough Division 34 
			 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Division 53 
			 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Division 66 
			 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Division 53 
			 Tafford Metropolitan Borough Division 38 
			 Bury Metropolitan Borough Division 32 
			 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Division 47 
			 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Division 36 
			 Total 588 
		
	
	1 Greater Manchester police have defined a 'community police officer' as an officer who dedicates their duties to working within the community in partnership with other agencies, examples are school liaison officers and youth offender officers.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for review of notification of determination by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority there have been in each of the last three years; and what percentage of these requests subsequently result in a changed decision.

Keith Bradley: holding answer 19 March 2002
	The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority have provided the following information:
	
		
			  1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 Review requests 19,891 20,521 18,002 
			 % Decision changed 16 15 12

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for review of determination by the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority there have been in the current financial year; what the waiting time is for allocation of review requests; and what the average time is for completion of the review.

Keith Bradley: holding answer 19 March 2002
	The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority advise that 15,792 review requests were received in the period 1 April 2001 to 14 March 2002. The waiting time for allocation of review requests is currently 14 weeks and falling, and the average time for a completed review in the 2001–02 financial year is 439 days.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many determinations by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority on which the application for compensation is declined due to the applicant refusing to give evidence in court there have been in each of the last three years; and what percentage of the total number of determinations were (a) approved and (b) declined.

Keith Bradley: holding answer 19 March 2002
	The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority advice that the number of applications rejected on account of the applicant's failure to give evidence in court was 236 in 1998–99, 158 in 1999–2000 and 274 in 2000–01. In the same three years, the percentages of all determinations approved were 54, 52 and 53, and of those rejected were 46, 48 and 47.

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 834—5W, on stolen equipment, whether the computer equipment stolen from his Department was (a) new and unused and (b) used; and what was the nature of the data stored on such items in each case.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 20 March 2002
	The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the target time will be in 2002–03 for (a) Ministers to reply to letters from hon. Members and (b) officials in his Department to reply to letters received directly from members of the public.

Angela Eagle: For 2002–03 the Home Office targets for replying to letters will continue as follows:
	(a) Ministers to reply to 95 per cent. of MPs correspondence about the Prison Service within 20 working days, and within 15 working days on all other matters.
	(b) Officials to reply to 95 per cent. of correspondence from the public within 20 working days.

Drug Use (Prisoners)

Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Deparment what 
	(1)  the rate of testing for cannabis use among prisoners has been in each of the past five years.
	(2)  what estimates his department has made of the use of (a) cannabis, (b) heroin, (c) crack cocaine, (d) all drugs, including alcohol among prisoners in each of the past five years.

Beverley Hughes: The most reliable indicator of drug misuse in prisons is data from the random mandatory drug testing (MDT) programme. National figures are given in the table.
	
		Percentage of positive tests from random MDT
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–021 
		
		
			 Cannabis 17.2% 14.5% 10.2% 7.5% 6% 
			 Opiates (including heroin) 4.3% 4.5% 4.3% 4.7% 4.7% 
			 Cocaine (including crack) 0.2% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 
			 All drugs 20.8% 18.3% 14.2% 12.4% 11.4% 
		
	
	1 Figures are based on the year to date—to 31 January 2002.
	No central record is kept of the amount of alcohol use in prisons. However, the best available indicator is the number of punishments handed down to prisoners for knowingly consuming alcohol. Between 1997 and 2000 these were:
	1997—297
	1998—524
	1999—632
	2000—547

Alcohol-related Crime

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces in England and Wales keep records of alcohol-related crime.

John Denham: holding answer 21 March 2002
	The term alcohol-related crime potentially covers any criminal act where the perpetrator may have been drinking alcohol prior to, or at the time of, the offence. While the relevant offence may be recorded, there is at present no requirement on police forces to record whether or not the offender had been drinking. Many forces do, however make their own assessment of alcohol-related crime problems, to inform their operational policing decisions.
	The suite of Best Value Performance Indicators for the police for 2002–03 include both a measure of violent offences committed in connection with licensed premises and a measure of violent offences under the influence of an intoxicating substance. This will provide a consistent measure of alcohol-related violence across all police forces in England and Wales.

Special Urgency Provisions

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 1100W, if he will list the occasions on which his Department has applied the special urgency provisions of circular 18/84 (Development by Government Departments), stating (a) the date, (b) the nature of the development and (c) a description of local consultations conducted.

Angela Eagle: Crown land is exempt from statutory planning control. Under the provisions of Circular 18/84 Government Departments instead must consult with local planning authorities before proceeding with Crown developments. In the event of an objection to the proposed development the matter may be referred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Stephen Byers), who may arrange for a non-statutory public local inquiry to be held. A decision will then be issued to all interested parties.
	Paragraph 22 of the Circular permits Departments to seek responses from local planning authorities within just 14 days, instead of the normal eight weeks. Unlike the normal procedure there is no obligation on the local planning authority to seek third party views. If no response is received after 14 days the Department can proceed with the development by the service of notice on the authority.
	The special urgency provisions of circular 18/84 have been applied in the following cases:
	Globe House, 89 Eccleston Square, London SW1;
	Date: January 1999;
	Nature of development: New London Passport Office—removal of asbestos and stripping of the interior (Phase 1), redevelopment of the building, change of use and construction of a two-storey side extension (Phase 2);
	Description of consultations: Consultations took the form of meetings between retained consultants and Westminster City Council.
	Yarl's Wood Immigration Detention Centre;
	Date: May 2000;
	Nature of development: Redevelopment and use of the site for an immigration detention centre;
	Description of consultations: Consultations included public meetings in Clapham and Milton Ernest village halls on 6 and 8 June 2000 respectively.
	Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre;
	Date: May 2000
	Nature of development: Redevelopment of the site to provide an immigration detention centre, with associated hearing centre, administration building, visitors centre and car parking.
	Description of consultations: An application letter and drawings were sent to the local planning authority and subsequent consultations were undertaken on an informal basis.
	Formerly Her Majesty's Prison Aldington (Immigration Detention Centre);
	Date: June 2000
	Nature of development: Construction of a 300-place immigration detention centre
	Description of consultations: Consultations took place with the local planning authority and three public meetings and an exhibition were held. This scheme has not been implemented.
	Logford House Removal Centre (Harmondsworth 2);
	Date: December 2001
	Nature of development: Development and use of the site as a second immigration detention centre.
	Description of consultations: An application letter and drawings were sent to the local planning authority and subsequent consultations were undertaken on an informal basis.
	Langhurst House, Horsham;
	Date: February 1999
	Nature of development: Construction of single-storey laboratory facility
	Description of consultations: An application letter and drawings were sent to the local planning authority and subsequent consultations were undertaken on an informal basis.
	The special urgency provisions have also been used for 120-place blocks at the following prisons:
	Her Majesty's Prison Garth, Chorley (June–July 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Holme House, Stockton-on-Tees (July 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison New Hall, Wakefield (June–October 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Bullingdon, Bicester (June–July 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Wetherby, Leeds (November 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Moorland, Doncaster (June 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Styal, Macclesfield (June 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Wymott, Chorley (July–August 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Onley, Daventry (June 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Guys March, Dorset (June 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Rangy, Ranby (August–October 1996).
	The special urgency provisions were also used for 40-place living units at the following prisons:
	Her Majesty's Prison Stocken, Rutland (November 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Norwich (November 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Downview, Banstead (November–December 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Kirklevington, Stockton-on-Tees (November–December 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Wayland, Thetford (November– December 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Haverigg, Millom (October–November 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Kirkham, Fylde (October 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Littlehey, Huntington (November 1996)
	Her Majesty's Prison Ashwell, Rutland (November 1996)
	In the period since the answer of 13 March 2002 special urgency provisions were applied in respect of 40-place rapid modular units at the following prisons:
	Her Majesty's Prison Acklington, Morpeth
	Her Majesty's Prison Eventhorpe, Brough
	Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution Hatfield, Hatfield
	Her Majesty's Prison Haverigg, Millom
	Her Majesty's Prison Highpoint, Stradishall
	Her Majesty's Prison Hollesley Bay, Woodbridge
	Her Majesty's Prison Leyhill, Wotton-Under-Edge
	Her Majesty's Prison Lindholme, Hatfield Woodhouse
	Her Majesty's Prison North Sea Camp, Boston
	Her Majesty's Prison Prescoed, Usk
	Her Majesty's Prison Ranby, Ranby
	Her Majesty's Prison Standford, Eastchurch
	Her Majesty's Prison Stocken, Stretton
	Her Majesty's Prison Spring Hill, Grendon Underwood
	Her Majesty's Prison Wayland, Thetford
	Her Majesty's Prison Wealstun, near Weatherby (clearance received in April 2002)
	Finally, special urgency provisions were applied in March 2002 in respect of a 40-place ready-to-use unit at the following prison:
	Her Majesty's Prison (HMP) Morton Hall, Swinderby (clearance received in March 2002)
	In the case of all prison developments an application letter and drawings were sent to the local planning authority and subsequent consultations were undertaken on an informal basis.

Animal Experiments

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on animal experiments.

Angela Eagle: The use of animals in experiments and other scientific procedures is strictly regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 which is widely regarded as the most rigorous piece of legislation of its type in the world. It offers a high level of protection to animals whilst recognising the need to use animals in research. It also requires the latest ideas and technology to be taken into account when deciding whether the use of animals is justified.
	We are working to ensure that the highest possible standards of animal welfare are applied and that animals are used only where it is fully justified. To this end, the Home Office has developed and put in place a strategy to ensure that policy is reviewed continuously as scientific and ethical considerations evolve, checking that the costs to animals are minimised and remain outweighed by the potential benefits of the work; compliance and high standards are reinforced through consistently applied inspection, training, guidance and (if necessary) infringement procedures; the advice of the Inspectorate, other welfare and scientific expertise, and the products of local ethical review processes is harnessed in ensuring that there are no alternatives which either replace animal use entirely, reduce the number of animals needed or refine the procedures to minimise suffering (the 3Rs). It also ensures that these are rigorously applied in every case and that the highest standards of animal welfare are implemented.
	It is also our strategy to encourage the development and use of alternatives and relevant databases through research funding and education, and through support for the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM); to take a lead in formulating European policies, standards and targets which neither disadvantage the United Kingdom nor drive work abroad to countries where lower standards apply; to liaise actively with legitimate interest groups and encourage the Animal Procedures Committee to take a more public role and offer broadly based and independent advice to Ministers; and to seek to make the administration of the 1986 Act as transparent as possible.

Asylum Seekers

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will estimate the cost of converting the Centrex Site at High Ercall, Shropshire, to a centre for housing asylum seekers;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with (a) Angel Development Corporation and (b) other interested parties on the suitability of the Centrex site at High Ercall, Shropshire, for housing asylum seekers since 27 November 2001.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 25 March 2002
	The Angel Group is under contract to the National Asylum Support Service to provide accommodation for asylum seekers. I can confirm that no discussions have taken place with the Group or other interested parties into the possibility of using the Centrex site at High Ercall as a centre for housing asylum seekers. Since no discussions have taken place I am unable to estimate the cost of converting the site.

Asylum Seekers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent changes have been made to the asylum support system.

Angela Eagle: Amendments to the Asylum Support Regulations 2000 came into effect on 8 April 2002. From that date levels of support provided to asylum seekers and their dependants under Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 have been increased. Also from 8 April all payments will be paid in cash.
	In addition, the Regulations have been amended to extend the prescribed period for discontinuing the support of asylum seekers whose claims have been fully determined. From 8 April when the Secretary of State notifies the claimant that he accepts the asylum claim, or notifies the claimant that the asylum claim is rejected but at the same time gives him limited leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom, or where an appeal by the claimant against the Secretary of State's decision has been disposed of (within the meaning of Section 94(4) of the Act) by being allowed, the period is increased from 14 days to 28 days. In any other case, the period is increased from 14 days to 21 days.
	Amendments to the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999 have also been made. These extend the duration of the Regulations until 5 April 2004; amend the prescribed period for asylum seekers supported by local authorities in the same way as for those supported under Section 95 of the 1999 Act and remove the restrictions on the payment of subsistence support in cash.
	The new rates of support for the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) supported asylum seekers are shown in the table:
	
		Levels of cash subsistence support for NASS supported asylum seekers and any dependants from 8 April 2002
		
			  Rates 
		
		
			 Qualifying couple £59.26 
			 Lone parent aged Qualifying couple 18 or over £37.77 
			 Single person aged 25 or over £37.77 
			 Single person aged at least 18 but under 25 £29.89 
			 Person aged at least 16 but under 18 (except a member of a qualifying couple) £32.50 
			 Person aged under 16 £33.50

Criminal Justice System Annual Report

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to publish the criminal justice system annual report for 2000–01.

David Blunkett: My noble and learned Friends the Attorney General, the Lord Chancellor and I will today be publishing jointly an annual report for the criminal justice system for England and Wales.
	The document is a formal report back on the criminal justice system strategic and business plan, which was published in May 2000.
	Copies of the Report will be placed in the Library.

TREASURY

Euro

David Cameron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what date he expects to complete his five economic tests for determining whether the UK should adopt the euro.

Gordon Brown: I have made clear on a number of occasions to this House that the Treasury will complete the assessment of the five economic tests within two years of the start of this Parliament.

Euro

John Burnett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to present to Parliament regular progress reports on the preliminary technical work on the assessment of the five economic tests on the euro.

Ruth Kelly: The Government has said that it will complete the assessment within two years of the start of this Parliament. Once the assessment is complete, the Government will publish the conclusions and the report.

Tourism Exports

Paul Tyler: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the level of tourism exports in the last five years from each region of the country.

Ruth Kelly: Figures on incoming tourists by UK region, alongside estimates of their expenditure, are contained in Table 4.11 of the Office for National Statistics 2001 Travel Trends publication (ISBN 0 11 621477 55). This covers years up to and including 2000. Figures for 2001 will be published in the Autumn.

Child Poverty

Piara S Khabra: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on what action his Department is taking to reach its goal on lifting children out of poverty in this Parliament.

Dawn Primarolo: This Government is committed to abolishing child poverty within a generation and halving it by 2010. As part of this commitment, we recently published a strategy document entitled "Tackling child poverty: giving every child the best possible start in life" which will inform the Budget and Spending Review 2002. As a result of tax and benefit changes announced in the last Parliament, there are now 1.2 million fewer children in poverty than there would otherwise have been.
	As part of the next stage of tax and benefit reform, a new tax credit for families with children—the Child Tax Credit—will be introduced from 2003, building on the foundation of universal Child Benefit. It will bring together the strands of support for children in Children's Tax Credit, Working Families Tax Credit, Disabled Person's Tax Credit and Income Support/Job Seekers' Allowance, and will be a seamless and transparent system of support for children, paid to the main carer, whether the family is in or out of work. Decisions on rates and thresholds will be set out in Budget 2002.

National Insurance

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the revenue implications of aligning the national insurance upper earnings limit with the higher rate of tax threshold.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 31 October 2001, Official Report, column 742W.

NHS Funding

Julian Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with Derek Wanless regarding the contents of the final Wanless report.

Andrew Smith: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given today by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for New Forest West (Mr. Swayne).

Sports Clubs

Gillian Merron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received to implement separate tax proposals for community amateur sports clubs in the 2002 Budget.

Paul Boateng: A range of responses to the "Promoting Sport in the Community" consultation document has been received. Decisions on the best way forward will be made with regard to these responses and in the context of subsequent meetings with sports' representative bodies and the Charity Commission. A summary of responses will be made publicly available at the time of any announcement.

Manufacturing

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of trends in tax receipts from manufacturing industry in the south-west since January 2001.

David Rendel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the changes in tax receipts from the manufacturing sector in the south-east of England during 2001.

Andrew Smith: The information requested is not available. This is because the difficulties involved in apportioning taxes between different regions and sectors mean that the estimates would not be robust.

Climate Change Levy

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from industry on the climate change levy.

Paul Boateng: As part of the normal process of contact with business, the Chancellor and the Treasury Ministerial team have met with a variety of business organisations and individual companies, and have heard a variety of representations on Climate Change Levy, and on other matters.

Privy Council Silverware

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the Privy Council silverware.

Andrew Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 18 March, Official Report, column 46W.

Oil Prices

Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on the economy of the recent rise in oil prices.

Ruth Kelly: The Government will publish updated forecasts for the UK economy in the Budget on 17 April, taking into account all recent developments and risks.

Unemployment (North-East)

Kevan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on measures being taken to reduce unemployment in the north-east.

Ruth Kelly: Figures recently announced show that the employment level is at 28,232 million, and the claimant unemployment level stands at 951,000. Claimant unemployment stands at 5.3 per cent in the North East and in North Durham it is down by 44 per cent. since 1997. The New Deal has been a contributing factor to these reductions in unemployment.
	In particular New Deal for young people has been successful in its four years of operation; it has placed over 340,000 18–24 year olds into work. 27,858 individuals have been placed into work in the North East. The New Deal for 25 plus and the enhanced programme (since April 2001) has helped a further 92,000 long-term unemployed people into work. For the North East region, 4,934 individuals have moved into employment and since the enhanced programme 1,616 individuals.
	Action teams are in place to help individuals into employment, as well as Employment zones. For instance, within the North East region these have been launched in Stockton and Middlesbrough RC.
	To build on this performance, the Government has introduced further measures to increase the effectiveness of the New Deal and other employment programmes, including:
	Piloting greater flexibility in the Options section of NDYP from November 2001 to give personal advisers more freedom to tailor the provision of support to meet the needs of the individuals, local employers and local labour markets;
	Establishing a pilot mentoring scheme from January 2002 to assess how mentoring can best be used to improve employment chances and job retention under the New Deal;
	Step-up a new programme of transitional employment pilots will, from April 2002 target our hardest to help clients who have not been able to find a job through the New Deal are going to be in place for instance in, Knowsley and Lambeth areas. People who take up these jobs will receive individual support so that they can eventually make the transition to unsupported jobs in the open labour market;
	To support those communities affected by large-scale redundancies, the Government is allocating additional resources to strengthen the Job Transition Service over the next two years; and
	The Working Families' Tax Credit (WFTC) is helping to make work pay for low to middle income families' with children. Nearly 1.3 million families with children are currently receiving the WFTC, around 400,000 more than received its predecessor, Family Credit. On average these families are receiving £35 a week more on WFTC than under Family Credit.

Welfare to Work

David Lammy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the results of his welfare to work proposals in deprived areas.

Ruth Kelly: Figures recently announced show that the employment level is at 28,232 million, and the claimant unemployment level stands at 951,000. Claimant unemployment in Tottenham is down by 44 per cent. since 1997. The New Deal has been a contributing factor to these reductions in unemployment.
	In particular New Deal for young people has been successful in its four years of operation; it has placed over 340,000 18–24 year olds into work. The New Deal for 25 plus and the enhanced programme (since April 2001) has helped a further 92,000 long-term unemployed people into work.
	To build on this performance, the Government has introduced further measures to increase the effectiveness of employment programmes in deprived areas, which include:
	Tackling the obstacles to employment in some of the worst affected regions in Britain, the Government has established 63 Action Teams in England, Scotland and Wales that suffer from particularly high levels of inactivity and long-term unemployment. Action Teams are a dynamic and innovative resource to tackle some of the UK's most deep-seated and protracted employment problems. So far 6,934 people have moved to work through Action Teams;
	The Government has PSAs targets for increasing employment in the most deprived areas within the UK. The employment rate for these 30 areas currently stands at 63.2 per cent. (Autumn 2001) up from 60.2 per cent. in Spring 1997;
	Step-up a new programme of transitional employment pilots will, in deprive areas such as Knowsley and Lambeth from April 2002 target our hardest to help clients who have not been able to find a job through the New Deal. People who participate in Step-Up will receive individual support so that they can eventually make the transition to unsupported jobs in the open labour market;
	The Working Families' Tax Credit (WFTC) helps to make-work pay for low to middle income families' with children. Nearly 1.3 million families with children are currently receiving the WFTC, around 400,000 more than received its predecessor, Family Credit. On average these families are receiving £35 a week more on WFTC than under Family Credit.

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Julia Drown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what preparations his Department has made to call for the acceleration of debt cancellation under the HIPC process to the level required to help achieve international development targets set at the bank April meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Paul Boateng: The Government continues to press for rapid implementation of the HIPC debt relief initiative to ensure that all eligible countries benefit and achieve sustainable debt levels.
	The cost of achieving the International Development Targets has been estimated at an additional US$50 billion per annum, equivalent to a doubling of current global aid. Debt reduction under the HIPC initiative can therefore be only one element of the additional finance required. For this reason the Government has been calling for substantial increases in aid and has welcomed recent commitments by the US and EU, announced in advance of the UN Financing for Development Conference in Monterrey, of an US$12 billion per annum increase in aid levels.

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Julia Drown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Department plans new bilateral loans to (a) the heavily indebted poor countries and (b) other countries.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	All DFID bilateral assistance to heavily indebted poor countries and to other developing countries is in the form of grants.

Employment Tax Credit

Anne Begg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his proposals for an employment tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: In April 2003 the Government are planning to introduce the Working Tax Credit to help make work pay and tackle in-work poverty. The Working Tax Credit will replace the adult elements of the Working Families' Tax Credit, Disabled Person's Tax Credit and the Employment Credit 50+. It will also extend the principle of Working Families Tax Credit to workers aged over 25 without children or a disability. The Working Tax Credit will be complemented by the Child Tax Credit. The rates and tapers of the Working Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit will be announced in Budget 2002.

VAT

Brian Cotter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the costs to small businesses of administering VAT.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr. Davey) on 26 November 2001, Official Report, columns 630W and 631W.

Project Sponsorship

Alan Beith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of his Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.

Ruth Kelly: This information is not held centrally, and could only be assembled at disproportionate cost.

Exports

Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the level of UK exports if the pound fell 10 per cent. against the euro; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 696W.

Health Expenditure

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps have been taken by the Treasury concerning the planning and control of health expenditure.

Andrew Smith: These are matters for consideration by the Chancellor prior to the Budget and Spending Review.

Health Expenditure

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the Secretary of State for Health to discuss planned levels of health spending after 2003–04.

Andrew Smith: The Chancellor meets with ministerial colleagues in the Department of Health to discuss a variety of issues on a regular basis.

Arthur Andersen

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2002, Ref. 37050, with reference to Clause 19 of the Cabinet Office Guidance to Departments on Sponsorship of Government Activities, if he will place the written agreement between his Department and Andersen in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The commercial arrangements for the "Creating Knowledge: Creating Wealth" conference on 14 April 1999 were as follows. The Treasury paid £15,500.85 (including VAT) for the hire of the conference facility, catering, staging and audio/visual equipment. Arthur Andersen incurred costs of £5,499.15 for the preparation of conference packs and for graphic design.
	Arthur Andersen's role was to help identify speakers and with the administration of the event. I have placed in the Library of the House a copy of a letter from my officials dated 25 November 1998 setting out these arrangements.

PFI/PPPs

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the (a) private finance initiative and (b) public private partnership projects which have been delayed.

Andrew Smith: The information is as follows:
	(a) PFI Projects Delayed
	Inland Revenue—Archer House project, Stockport. The delay was due to a proposed site change and an interim change of specification.
	(b) There have been no delayed PPP projects.

Scottish Transport Group

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date his Department was first informed of the level of Scottish Transport Group pension scheme's surplus.

Andrew Smith: The wind up of the STG pension scheme is being taken forward by the Scottish Executive following privatisation. The Scottish Executive announced in December 2000 how the surplus was being distributed following agreement with Treasury Ministers.

Scottish Bus Group

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rules in respect of double taxation are applicable to the Scottish Bus Group employee pension fund.

Andrew Smith: A surplus from a pension fund scheme can carry a tax liability. A tax charge is provided for under section 601 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. It applies to all payments to an employer from the funds of an exempt approved pension scheme, as the Scottish Transport Group schemes are. The current rate at which the tax is charged is 35 per cent. in accordance with Section 74 of the Finance Act 2001. The tax payable on payments to pensioners will depend on the personal tax circumstances of the individual. Payments have yet to be finalised.

Scottish Bus Group

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what legal advice his Department has obtained in relation to the distribution of the Scottish Bus Group employee pension funds; under what statutory provisions these funds are liable to public general taxation; to what extent ex-gratia payments made to former members of the fund are liable to tax; to what extent this applies in respect of payments in excess of £30,000; and at what rate.

Andrew Smith: The Scottish Executive is taking forward the wind up of the STG pension schemes. The tax position is set out in the answer I am today giving to another question of the hon. Lady's ref. 48284.

Performance Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what new initiatives his Department has taken in 2001–02 to assist in achieving its Public Service Agreements targets.

Ruth Kelly: Information about the measures put in place to achieve the Treasury's PSA targets will be published in the Treasury's 2002 Departmental Report.

Ministerial Visits

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list his overseas visits since 7 June 2001.

Ruth Kelly: I refer my hon. Friend the answer given by the Deputy Prime Minister on 4 February, Official Report, column 707W.

Tax Credits

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2002, to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison), Official Report, columns 1142–43W, on tax credits, what the average penalty imposed on each person who has been subjected to a penalty as a result of an investigation into a WFTC or DPTC claim is, broken down into each financial year.

Dawn Primarolo: The average penalty imposed as a result of an investigation into a WFTC/DPTC claim is as follows:
	
		
			  October 1999–March 2000 April 2000–March 2001 April 2001–December 2001 
		
		
			 Average penalty £481 £521 £593

Widows' Pensions

David Burnside: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the difference in the treatment for tax purposes of the attributable pension awarded to war widows and widows of disabled service personnel.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 26 March 2002
	Specific rules mean that pensions paid under the War Pensions Scheme to widows or widowers in respect of the death of their spouses are exempt from tax. Pensions paid to widows or widowers of service personnel under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme are taxable in the normal way.

Capital Gains Tax

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the Treasury of collecting capital gains tax.

Dawn Primarolo: The cost of collecting Capital Gains Tax in 2000–01 was £43 million. This equates to 1.33 pence for every pound of Capital Gains Tax collected.
	The figure relates mainly to costs arising from gains to individuals and trustees but some other costs (mainly of land valuations for companies) that cannot be separately identified are included in the collection costs of capital gains tax.

Capital Gains Tax

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the income from capital gains tax was in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Receipt of capital gains tax in each of the last five years are given on the Inland Revenue website at: http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/tax—receipts/g—t02—1.htm.

Research and Development

Rob Marris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial measures the Government have implemented since 1997 to stimulate research and development, and production, in the sectors of medical technology and of pollution control.

Paul Boateng: In Budget 2000 the Government introduced the R&D tax credit for small and medium sized companies. In Budget 2001 consultation was announced on two further measures supporting R&D:
	extending R&D tax credits to all companies; and
	a tax credit for research into drug and vaccines for killer diseases—TB, malaria and some strains of HIV/AIDS—primarily affecting people living in developing nations.
	The Chancellor confirmed on 25 March that a wider volume based R&D tax credit, applying to spending on or after 1 April 2002, would be introduced.
	Budget 2001 introduced enhanced capital allowances for investment in energy efficient technologies, allowing companies to immediately write off the full cost of qualifying investments against taxable profit. In Pre-Budget Report 2001 the Government announced proposals under the Green Technology Challenge to introduce further enhanced capital allowances to tackle climate change and improve air quality, and to reduce water use and improve water quality.

Small Landlords

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will amend the tax system to assist small landlords.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government keeps all taxes under review and any changes will be announced in the Budget Report.

Vocational Training

Phil Willis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 14 February 2002, Official Report, column 578W, on vocational training, if he will provide a breakdown of the courses being followed by the claimants of vocational training relief in 1998–99.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available.

Family Incomes

Dari Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he is taking to increase the take-home pay of families of those in low paid work.

Dawn Primarolo: Over the last Parliament this Government introduced the following measures to make work pay:
	National Minimum Wage
	Working Families Tax Credit and Childcare Tax Credit
	The 10 pence and 22 pence rates of income tax; and
	Reforms to National Insurance Contributions.
	As a result of these measures families with children in the poorest fifth of the population are on average £1,700 a year better off in real terms.
	In April 2003 the Government is planning to replace Working Families Tax Credit with the Working Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. The Child Tax Credit will provide a seamless stream of support for families, paid direct to the main carer, building on the foundations of universal Child Benefit.

Parliamentary Questions

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to raise the advisory cost limit of £550 for answering written parliamentary questions; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The advisory cost limit was last increased in 2000, Official Record, 15 May 2000, column 47W and is to be further increased to £600 from today.
	The purpose and application of the advisory cost limit remains unchanged. It is intended to act as a threshold for disproportionate cost parliamentary questions (PQs). Any written PQ where the marginal cost of preparing the answer is considered likely to exceed the threshold may be refused in whole or in part on the grounds of disproportionate cost. Alternatively the Minister may decide that the PQ is to be answered irrespective of cost. There is no advisory limit for oral PQs.
	The advisory limit continues to be based on eight times the average marginal cost for written PQs, which is now £75, rounded down to the nearest £50 for convenience of application.

Parliamentary Questions

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the cost of answering (a) a written parliamentary question and (b) an oral parliamentary question.

Paul Boateng: As at April 2001, the average cost of answering a written parliamentary question and an oral parliamentary question was £129 and £299 respectively.

Monterey Conference

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions took place at the Financing for Development Conference in Mexico on the reform of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers to take into account the financial resources required to reach the 2015 development targets.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK delegation to the Conference was not aware of any specific discussions at Monterrey about the need to reform the PRSP process to take into account the financial resources required to reach the 2015 development targets. UK policy is to support improvements to poor countries' public expenditure management systems so that poverty reduction policies and programmes can be clearly costed and prioritised in PRSPs. We also support the work of the World Bank and UNDP which looks at the costs for individual countries to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

BSE

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make available the latest progress report prepared by her Department on bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Elliot Morley: A further Progress Report on BSE in Great Britain was placed in the Library of the House today.
	The report outlines the measures which have been taken to protect public health since June 2001 and includes the latest EU requirements for testing and surveillance.
	There is also a section on the protection of animal health which covers controls on animal feed.
	The epidemiology section shows that the epidemic of BSE in Great Britain continues to decline.
	The report is also published on the DEFRA website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/index.html.

Livestock Movements

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government will end the 20-day standstill rule for livestock.

Elliot Morley: The interim rules for livestock movements, which we announced on 5 February, allow greater flexibility for farmers to move their animals. The 20 day standstill rule has been waived for some types of movement, subject to conditions and we will continue to keep these arrangements under review. However, veterinary advice is that the 20 day standstill needs to remain in place for the time being as a disease control measure. A copy of a document explaining the Veterinary basis for the Interim movement rules has been placed in the Library of the House and is available on the DEFRA website.

Oil Seed Rape Contamination

James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the report being prepared by the Canadian seed authorities on the possible causes of the GM contamination of hybrid oil seed rape exported to the UK in the spring of 2000 has been received.

Michael Meacher: The report to which my hon. Friend refers has recently been issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the House Libraries.

Risk Transfer

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how her Department intends transferring forms of risks associated with farm businesses to farmers.

Elliot Morley: My officials are currently discussing with the livestock and insurance industries a number of options on the transfer, to farmers, of some of the costs of animal diseases.

Regulations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how her Department plans to help farmers rationalise regulations.

Elliot Morley: My plans were set out at paragraph 4.61 of "Sustainable Food and Farming: Working Together", published on 26 March, which reads:
	"The Government accepts that there is a need to find better ways for farmers, DEFRA and the regulatory bodies to work together to achieve improvements in standards without imposing unnecessary burdens. This need arises on a wide range of issues—including animal health and welfare, food safety, employee health and safety and nature conservation as well as environmental regulation. On 26 March my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State announced that DEFRA would give high priority to work on new approaches to regulation, including the need for DEFRA and the regulators to consider the cumulative effects of regulatory requirements on the farm business as a whole. These commitments reflected a new approach to regulation in which DEFRA promised to:
	be open with industry—consulting early and often;
	minimise the bureaucracy of regulation, using Regulatory Impact Assessments in a joined up way to assess impacts in the round (across regulatory regimes), and to cut duplication of effort;
	provide advice and information easily and up front—to help farmers comply, not just punish them for failure;
	join up government and join up the regulators—provide business advice and regulatory advice as a package;
	ensure regulations are risk-based and proportionate.
	My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, also said that she will press hard for better integration between the agricultural and environmental agendas at the European level, and called on the farming industry to play a bigger role in helping to devise environmental legislation within the EU."

LGC

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 240W, on genotype test errors, if she will list the contracts that her Department and its predecessor Department has had in the last five years with LGC.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The following are the contracts undertaken by LGC in the last five years:
	Speciation, bioavailability, biopotency and functional markers for D vitamers;
	Development of methods to detect protein standardisation of cows' drinking milk;
	Methods for the detection of rectified grape and apple juice in fruit juices;
	The immunological determination of meat content;
	Evaluation of a DNA Method for Meat Species Identification;
	A novel method for the detection of neuronal tissue from beef by the identification of tissue specific DNA modification;
	Differentiation of species of meat in particular cooked products by DNA methods;
	Evaluation of a suite of methods to distinguish cheese analogues from genuine cheese;
	Optimisation and validation of DNA assay for detection of select non-muscle tissues in meat products using tissue specific DNA modification;
	Vitamin B6 improvements in extraction and determination—Resolving inaccuracy and bias from its measurement;
	Development and validation of two analytical procedures for the quantitative determination of fatty acids;
	Further studies on the determination of heme and non-heme iron;
	Develop and validate a routine HPLC method for the determination of folates and folic acid in foods;
	development and validation of rapid viable pathogen testing and enumeration by a simple and low cost new method;
	An improved analytical method for gellan gum;
	Development and validation of procedures to detect and quantify the use of dimethyl dicarbonate in non-alcoholic drinks;
	Biomarker assessment of benzoate consumption;
	A regiospecific immunoassay screening test for contaminants from food contact plastics;
	Develop a novel molecular typing method for comparison of foodbourne pathogens using VTEC as a model organism;
	Efficacy testing of disinfectants used in the food industry against a range of pathogens including E-coli 0157;
	Processing LINK Offers of Grant;
	Organochlorine residue in poultry resulting from the use of hyperchlorinated water in poultry washes;
	Chain of custody audit at Institute of Animal Health;
	Development of a Sensitive and Specific Molecular Typing Method for the Epidemiological Study of Salmonella;
	Investigation of glufosinate residue analysis in potatoes, soya products, legume and maize;
	Development of methods for the determination of thyreostats in poultry and bovine livers;
	BSE Testing in Cattle: Analytical Work on Veterinary Residues in Foodstuffs of Animal Origin;
	National Scrapie Plan "Blood Sampling";
	Feasibility Study of the Determination of Oestrone, etc. in Drinking Waters;
	Analysis of Oestrone, Oestradiol and Ethynyl Oestradiol—Supervision of Performance Tests;
	Investigation of Solvent Contamination Incidents and Provision of Scientific Advice on Drinking Water Quality and Health Issues;
	Leaching of Lead from Approved u-PVC Water Supply Pipes;
	Consolidate two GCMS methods for the determination of three oestrogen steroids in water and review of the potential for determining the same steroids using LCMSMS;
	Exposure to chloropropanol isomers via polyamines.

Correspondence

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria she uses to decide which letters from (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public will receive an answer signed by herself.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 15 October 2001
	A range of criteria—including the position held by the individual concerned, the subject matter and the background to the correspondence—is used to determine whether my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State responds to letters from hon. Members or asks one of her Ministerial team to reply on her behalf. By convention, Privy Councillors only receive replies from fellow Privy Councillors, unless they have expressly written to another Minister.
	Similarly, whether or not my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State replies in person to letters from members of the public depends on whether the letter-writer holds a particular position in public life, or if he or she is known personally to the Secretary of State and on the nature and content of the letter.
	The hon. Member may be interested to know that since the beginning of January 2002, DEFRA Ministers have received over 4,200 letters from hon. and right hon. Members, and in excess of 45,000 letters from members of the public. The majority of these were addressed to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State.

Correspondence

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the correspondence from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed dated 20 June 2001 relating to the future prospects of livestock auctions.

Elliot Morley: A reply was sent on 8 April to the right hon. Member.

Correspondence

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter of 6 August from the hon. Member for North Shropshire concerning his constituent Ms J. Vernon.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 6 November 2001
	I am sorry for the delay in replying to the hon. Member's letter. A reply was sent on 26 March.

Ministerial Meetings

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Prime Minister regarding (a) the future of farming and (b) the future prospects of small family farms; and if she will publish the record of those discussions.

Margaret Beckett: On 9 August the Prime Minister announced the setting up of the Independent Policy Commission on farming and food. Government asked it to advise on how we create a sustainable, competitive and diverse farming and food sector within a thriving rural economy which advances environmental, health and animal welfare goals and is consistent with the Government's aim for CAP reform, enlargement of the EU and increased trade liberalisation.
	Following the publication of the Policy Commission's Report on 29 January, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister and I met leaders of farming, food, rural, environmental and consumer bodies to discuss how to take the recommendations forward. The outcome of that meeting was published in a News Release (No 117/02), issued by my Department on 26 March.

Mobile Telephones

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) her Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA came into being on 8 June 2001. The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Illegal Meat Imports

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Government are introducing to curb the importation of illegal meats.

Elliot Morley: On 28 March the Government published an action plan which commits it to a range of measures to reduce disease risks presented by illicit imports of animal products. A copy of the plan is being placed in the Libraries of the House.

Illegal Meat Imports

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what progress has been made with investigations into the feasibility of using x-ray machines to detect illegal meat imports; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what progress has been made with the pilot scheme for dogs to sniff out meat which is being brought into the country illegally; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what plans she has to make the Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations 1996 more effective; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what material is issued to inform people travelling to the UK of the regulations regarding personal imports of meat and the penalties for importing meat illegally.

Elliot Morley: The Government has published an action plan, the aim of which is to reduce the risk of exotic animal and plant diseases entering the country. The plan takes account of recent discussions the Government has had with stakeholder interests on the priorities and actions for the coming year to tackle the issue of illegal imports. A copy of the plan has been placed in the library of the House. It contains a range of measures, including those listed in these questions.
	We are gathering information to help examine the potential benefits of using x-ray equipment to scan containers and personal baggage to detect illegal imports, leading if successful to a trial. On the use of dogs, we are working towards commencing a pilot this summer.
	Enforcement officers will be given new powers (already available to customs officers) in April to search baggage, etc for illegal imports of animal products. The central and local government agencies involved in importation of food and other goods are working closely together to achieve effective inter-agency co-ordination of checks, and which will include discussions about how these search powers will be used.
	Information about our import rules has been provided to Embassies to publicise locally through travel agents and when visas are issued. Posters have been put on display in the arrival baggage halls at UK airports advising of the penalties for smuggling animal and plant products. Information on restricted produce is also contained in HM Customs' Guide for travellers entering the UK, and which can be viewed on-line at http://www.hmce.gov.uk/forms/notices. Further publi- city measures will be developed.

Illegal Meat Imports

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what outbreaks of disease in animals in Britain have been linked to the import of illegal meat products in the past five years.

Elliot Morley: We cannot be certain as to the precise origin of the Classical Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks in 2000 and 2001. However, absence of any evidence that these diseases were introduced through the import of live animals suggests infected meat or meat products are the source. The precise route for introducing infection is likely to remain unknown, though the controls in place for legal imports point to an illegal or inadvertent introduction.

Illegal Meat Imports

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the role of her Department has been in checks on illegal meat imports at airports in the last two years; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA has lead responsibility for animal health controls on imports of meat, working with the Food Standards Agency which has responsibility for public health aspects, and HM Customs, the devolved administrations, and Local and Port Health Authorities. The last two years has seen greater co-operation between these authorities.
	The Department held a meeting on 21 March with all the public enforcement authorities, the ports, airports, airlines, agriculture and food industry to intensify efforts to reduce illegal meat imports.

Refrigerators (Disposal)

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Ministers and officials attached to her Department were directly involved in discussions with the European Commission concerning the implementation of EU regulation 2037/2000 in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: I negotiated the draft Regulation at the EC Environment Council meeting in December 1998, and the Council adopted a common position at the meeting in February 1999. Negotiations at official level took place in the Environment Working Group of the Council and the Committee of Permanent Representatives. At official level, further discussions with the European Commission and other Member States on introduction and implementation took place at regular Management Committee meetings on both the previous legislation, EC Regulation 3093/94, and EC Regulation 2037/2000.

Animal Medicines

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps the Government are taking to ensure that animal owners are not limited to buying animal medicines from veterinary surgeons under EU directive 2001/82/EC;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of likely employment effects of the implementation of EU directive 2001/82/EC.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 1 March 2002
	Directive 2001/82/EC consolidated a number of Directives concerning veterinary medicinal products into a single text. Its purpose was not to introduce any substantive changes to the controls on veterinary medicines that previously existed. Therefore there are no likely effects on employment as a consequence of its implementation. Nor is there anything in Directive 2001/82/EC that would limit animal owners to buying veterinary medicines from veterinary surgeons.
	However, the European commission has proposed amendments to Directive 2001/82/EC, one of which would require medicines for food-producing animals to be supplied only in accordance with a veterinary prescription. Under UK legislation veterinary medicines for which a prescription is required may be supplied by veterinary surgeons or registered pharmacists. In its present form this particular proposal could result in UK farmers having to pay more by incurring veterinary surgeons' fees when obtaining those medicines that are currently available without veterinary intervention. Furthermore, it could restrict the number and types of veterinary medicines that may be supplied by registered agricultural merchants and saddlers, to a limited range of products for dogs and cats. This could have significant adverse effects on those businesses.
	In considering this proposal the Government has taken account of its likely impact on the supply of veterinary medicines and has agreed that, during negotiations, UK officials should seek to modify the proposal to enable a flexible approach to the distribution of veterinary medicinal products that takes advantage of existing national practices, so long as consumer protection and animal welfare can be demonstrably assured.
	The proposed amendments to Directive 2001/82 do not change the current arrangements for selling medicines for companion animals.

Ministerial Private Offices

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the running costs were of (a) her Ministers' private offices, separately identifying expenditure on staff and (b) her Department for each year from May 1997 to the nearest date for which the information is available.

Elliot Morley: The Department has only been in existence since June 2001. Forecast running cost expenditure on Ministers' private offices for 2001–02 is £2.2 million. This includes £1.5 million for staff costs. The 2001–02 Administrative Cost budget for the whole Department is £653.6 million.

Manpower

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff have been employed by her Department in each of the last 10 years.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr. Christopher Leslie) on 19 March, Official Report, column 295W.

Celebrations

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements her Department has made to celebrate (a) St. Patrick's Day, (b) St. George's Day, (c) St. Andrew's Day and (d) Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee; and how her Department celebrated St. David's Day.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 March 2002
	In connection with celebrations to mark Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Tim Yeo) on 11 February, Official Report, column 58W/59W.
	On flag flying, the Department and its Executive Agencies routinely follow central guidance from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on flying the Union flag from its buildings on "named days". They will similarly observe any agreed Union flag flying protocol for the Golden Jubilee but the flag will fly routinely on Coronation Day (2 June) as this is a "named day".
	Staff in the Department and its Agencies will benefit from the additional public holiday granted on 3 June to celebrate the Golden Jubilee.

Pig Farms

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice the Department has issued to farmers regarding the legality of continued use of the stall and tether pig housing system in the UK.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 21 March 2002
	Legislation originally introduced in 1991 to ban close-confinement stalls for breeding sows came into full effect from January 1999. During the eight year phase-out period advisory material was issued and a video showing alternative systems produced.

Pig Farms

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports the Chief Veterinary Officer has received from (a) animal welfare organisations, (b) members of the public, (c) Farm Assurance scheme inspectors, (d) other Government officials and (e) other persons that animal welfare had been compromised in pig units at (i) Oldlands Farm, Wiltshire and (ii) Shoddesden, Hampshire.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 21 March 2002
	No complaints were received about either unit before allegations made by Sky News in June 2001.

Pig Farms

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what investigations have been made by the Government into use of sow stall and tether housing systems on the pig units of (a) Oldlands Pig Unit, Wiltshire and (b) Shoddesden Pig Unit, Hampshire since 1999.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 21 March 2002
	There have been veterinary inspections of both of these units. Allegations that illegal stall and tether systems were in use on these units after the ban was not substantiated.

Pig Farms

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to investigate the treatment of pigs at (a) Oldlands Pig Unit, Wiltshire and (b) Shoddesden Pig Unit, Hampshire.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 21 March 2002
	There are no plans to investigate the treatment of pigs at these units as there are currently no pigs on either unit. Previous complaints were investigated and no breach of welfare regulations were found.

Pig Farms

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when (a) Government ministers and (b) Government officials were first informed of the possibility that animal welfare had been compromised on pig units in (i) Oldlands Farm, Wiltshire and (ii) Shoddesden, Hampshire since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 21 March 2002
	Sky News first made allegations of poor welfare conditions on both units in June 2001. Allegations made in the media were fully investigated at the time and various claims made could not be substantiated by veterinary inspection.

Pig Farms

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) unannounced and (b) pre-arranged welfare inspections have taken place at the pig units of (i) Oldlands Farm, Wiltshire and (ii) Shoddesden, Hampshire since 1996.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 21 March 2002
	There have been six welfare inspections of these units since April 1996. Whether the visits were pre-arranged or unannounced was not recorded in all cases, but the most recent visits in June 2001 and January 2002 were pre-arranged in order to have a responsible person on site to facilitate inspection and respond to enquiries.

Pig Farms

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance she will give to pig farmers following the ban on feeding swill.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 25 March 2002
	The Government does not consider that financial assistance is appropriate for producers who have been required to change the feeding regimes of their animals. However, assistance was provided at the time of the introduction of the swill ban in the form of advice on alternative methods of feeding and alternative feeds that would be acceptable.

Pollution (Irish Sea)

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on co-operation between the UK Government and the Irish Government on monitoring pollution in the Irish Sea.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 21 March 2002
	There has been extensive co-operation in recent years, including shared research programmes, between the UK and the Irish Government on the pollution of the Irish Sea, particularly in the production of the Quality Status Report (QSR) for the Celtic Seas in 2000.
	This report, which is available in the Library, forms part of a wider assessment made within OSPAR, the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic. It concluded that ecosystem effects due to pollution are generally confined to urbanised estuaries and that environmental effects of most contaminants routinely monitored appear to be either stable, or decreasing, with the main problem being caused by tributyl tin.
	Co-operation continues through the joint work undertaken in the OSPAR Monitoring and Assessment Committee.
	Although there is no specific co-operation on monitoring of radioactivity in the Irish Sea, officials from the UK and the Irish Government meet on a bi-annual basis in the form of the UK/Irish Contact Group on Radioactivity where information on monitoring of the Irish Sea is passed to the Irish side.

Brucellosis

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what checks are made by the State Veterinary Service on imports of cattle from France as part of re-stocking schemes following foot and mouth disease; how many cattle have been found to be carrying the disease brucellosis; when the last case of brucellosis was reported in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Post import checks for the following diseases are carried out by the State Veterinary Service on cattle imported from France:
	Enzootic bovine leukosis
	Brucellosis
	Warble fly
	Since imports were allowed to restart following foot and mouth disease, no imported cattle have been confirmed as carrying brucellosis. Although initial blood tests on a consignment of cattle imported in February gave a single positive and four inconclusive results, subsequent tests have proved negative and brucellosis was not confirmed.
	The last case of brucellosis reported in Great Britain was in Anglesey in 1993.

Nitrates

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the regulations governing the spreading of farms' (a) own manure and (b) brought-in manure on set aside land under the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Directive.

Michael Meacher: Under the Nitrates Directive 1991, Action Programme measures operate in existing Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) which were designated in 1996 and currently cover around 8 per cent. of England's land area.
	The Action Programme measures for spreading organic manure currently apply to all land within an NVZ, irrespective of whether the manure is a farm's own or imported from another farm. Spreading organic manure is prohibited when:
	Soil is waterlogged, flooded, frozen hard or snow-covered.
	Fields are steeply sloping.
	Applying slurry, poultry manures or liquid digested sewage sludge on sandy or shallow soils between:
	1 August–1 November (arable land)
	1 September to 1 November (grassland or arable land with an Autumn-sown crop).
	Certain other detailed requirements also apply, described in the DEFRA booklet PB5505 "Guidelines for Farmers in NVZs", available through DEFRA publications (08459 556000) or the internet (via a web link at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/quality/nitrate).
	Under the Arable Area Payments Scheme Regulations, the storage and application of manure on set-aside land is restricted to manure produced on the farmer's own holding between 15 January and 31 August each year. DEFRA is currently considering whether any change to this set-aside rule could be justified.

Nitrates

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect on ground phase hydrological cycle water quality of the four specific months during which manure is not to be spread as defined in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Directive in those areas to which the Directive is applied.

Michael Meacher: Scientific studies such as "Strategies to Encourage Better Use of Nitrogen in Animal Manures" contained in MAFF Booklet PB4401 "Tackling Nitrate from Agriculture—Strategy from Science", available from DEFRA publications (08459 556000), demonstrate that autumn months are the most crucial ones for reducing the risk of nitrate pollution.
	Under the Nitrates Directive 1991, farmers inside Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) follow Action Programme measures detailing closed periods which prohibit the spreading of slurry, poultry manures or liquid digested sewage sludge on sandy or shallow soils between 1 August to 1 November (arable land) or 1 September to 1 November (grassland or arable land with an autumn-sown crop).
	These closed application periods are carefully targeted at those manures containing a higher proportion of available nitrogen when applied to soils which are prone to nitrate leaching.
	On uncropped land there is no crop uptake of nitrate in the autumn so the closed period during August, September and October aims to prevent applications of slurry, poultry manures or liquid digested sewage sludge on sandy or shallow soils between harvest and 1 November. August application of these manures on grassland and land sown with autumn sown crops allows time for uptake of nitrate by growing crops; the closed period is limited to September and October where the risk of nitrate leaching remains high. Applications after 1 November entail a lower risk of nitrate leaching because conversion of manure nitrogen to nitrate in the soil is limited by lower soil temperatures in most winters.
	Details of Action Programme measures are described in DEFRA booklet PB5505 "Guidelines for Farmers in NVZs".

River Aire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she will take to address pollution in the River Aire at Skipton.

Michael Meacher: The Environment Agency received a report of pollution entering the River Aire from a closed landfill site in March 2000. The incident was investigated and was categorised as a minor incident which has a limited effect on water quality. Their enquiries showed the cause of the incident to be a malfunctioning pump carrying leachate from a decommissioned landfill site to the public foul water sewer. North Yorkshire County Council is responsible for maintaining the pump and is taking steps to gain access to the land, which is controlled by a tenant farmer, in order to carry out the necessary work.
	The River Aire at Skipton is routinely monitored for chemistry and biology at two sampling points—Carleton and Cononley. The most recent results recorded for Carleton are class B (good) for both chemistry and biology.
	At Cononley the chemistry has improved from D (poor) to B (good) over the last 10 years. Biology has improved from E (poor) to C (fairly good) in the same period.
	Overall, there has been a continuing trend of improving quality to this stretch of the Aire in response to improvements at Snaygill (Skipton) sewage treatment works. Results for 2001 are not yet available.

Traffic Noise

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information she has collated on the (a) health consequences and (b) public nuisance arising from traffic noise pollution; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: The government has supported a number of studies into the health effects of various sources of noise. A number of these consider road traffic noise including: "Health Effects based Noise Assessment Methods: A Review and Feasibility Study", which is available on the DEFRA website (www.defra.gov.uk), and "The effects of relieving traffic congestion on noise exposure, noise annoyance, well-being and psychiatric morbitdity: annex to the by-pass study" which is available from the Department of Health. The government is also contributing to the European study: "Road traffic and Aircraft Noise exposure and Children's cognition and Health" (RANCH).
	Road traffic noise does not generally fall within the legal definition of a public nuisance and, as such, there are no figures available relating to this. The government does, however, take the issue of noise seriously and periodically records people's attitudes to noise. This exercise established that in 1991 29 per cent. of respondents who reported hearing road traffic noise stated that they were adversely affected by it. This survey has recently been repeated and the results are expected to be published in May.
	The repeated survey and the development of the Ambient Noise Strategy, which includes establishing the number of people exposed to road traffic noise, will build on the work already carried out to address noise from this source.

Energy Efficiency

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the percentage improvement of energy efficiency is of each Governmental department from 1990 levels; and whether these improvements are in line with the objectives laid out in the Model Policy Statement for Greening Government Operations.

Michael Meacher: Details of the improvements in departmental energy efficiency for Government Departments for the years between 1990–91 and 1999–2000 can be found in Tables 1 to 4 of Part 2 of the Greening Government Third Annual Report 2001. Copies are available via: http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/gm2001/part2/search.asp?choose Section=5.1 or in the Library of the House. For convenience the relevant data, without the footnotes, are reproduced in Tables 1 to 3. Positive figures represent an improvement in performance.
	Data for 2000–01 will be published in the next Green Ministers Report in Autumn 2002.
	The Government's targets to achieve a 20 per cent. improvement in energy efficiency over 1990 levels by 31 March 2000 was included within Objective 7(a) of the Model Policy Statement for Greening Government Operations. Until 1998–99, steady progress had been made towards meeting the targets with an overall improvement of around 19 per cent. compared with 1990. In 1999–2000, however, performance slipped back to an overall improvement of around 17 per cent. compared with 1990. Paragraphs 5.7 and 5.8 of the Greening Government Third Annual Report 2001 give a fuller explanation of this situation. Copies are available via http://www.sustainable-development.gov. uk/gm2001/part1/05a.htm or in the Library of the House. Government Estate Energy Efficiency Performance 1990–91 to 1999–2000
	
		Table 1: Civil Departments recent performance in improvements in Energy Efficiency relative to 1990–01
		
			 Department or Agency Adjusted for estate size changes and weather correction 1999–2000 Percentage 
		
		
			 MAFF (Main Estate) 24 
			 MAFF (Laboratories) 21 
			 Cabinet Office 15 
			 Culture, Media and Sport 28 
			 Customs and Excise -8 
			 DfEE -11 
			 DfEE (Employment Service) -10 
			 DETR 11 
			 Health and Safety Executive 22 
			 QEII Conference Centre -10 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office -26 
			 Health -77 
			 Home Office 0 
			 HO (Prisons) 2 
			 Inland Revenue 17 
			 DfID 38 
			 LCD 15 
			 National Savings n/a 
			 Northern Ireland 4 
			 Scottish Office n/a 
			 Scottish Court Service 30 
			 Scottish Prison Service 2 
			 Social Security 10 
			 Trade and Industry 47 
			 Treasury -23 
			 National Assembly for Wales -24 
			 Total 8.3 
		
	
	
		Table 2: MoD recent performance in improvements in Energy Efficiency relative to 1990–01
		
			 MoD Department or Agency Adjusted for estate size changes and weather correction 1999–2000 Percentage 
		
		
			 Civil 0 
			 Navy 33 
			 Army 20 
			 RAF 22 
			 Procurement Executive –7 
			 DERA –4 
			 MOD Total 21.1 
		
	
	
		Table 3: Total Government Estate, recent performance in improvements in Energy Efficiency relative to 1990–01
		
			  Adjusted for estate size changes and weather correction 1999–2000 Percentage 
		
		
			 Civil Departments Total 8.3 
			 MoD Total 21.1 
			 Civil and MoD Total 17.1

Environmentally and Socially Responsible Investment

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps (a) her Department and (b) the Government have taken to encourage environmentally and socially responsible investments in least developed countries.

Michael Meacher: There is an increasing understanding by institutional investors and financial service providers of the benefits of environmentally and socially responsible investment. The demand for more disclosure by investors on social and environmental policy has been stimulated by the disclosure requirements of the 2000 amendment to the Pension Act, and the debate about replicating these requirements in other areas.
	The Department has taken the lead in working with the UK financial services sector on the "London Principles—finance and insurance for sustainable development". The Principles encompass three key areas: pricing asset and exercising ownership; providing new finance; and risk management. The Principles will be launched later this year as part of the UK's contribution to the World Summit on Sustainable Development. We hope that they will serve as a model for resolutions on financial sustainability at the World Summit.
	We and the Department for International Development are also working with the FORGE consortium of banks and insurance companies to develop management and reporting guidelines on corporate social responsibility for the sector, to follow up on their environmental management guidelines published last year.
	The Department for International Development has also undertaken several studies and consultations to identify those tools which most effectively encourage equitable and sustainable investment in developing countries, and the best ways to mainstream them in the investment community. An example is the Just Pensions project which is concerned with encouraging trustees to use their influence to persuade fund managers to invest in socially responsible investment.

Environmentally and Socially Responsible Investment

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the diseases and infections for which imported livestock is checked; and how many (a) positive results, (b) negative results and (c) dangerous contacts were identified through livestock tests in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 25 March 2002
	Livestock are inspected by an official veterinarian of the exporting country immediately prior to export in order to certify that the animals are free of the diseases mentioned in the export health certificate.
	Post import checks on livestock are carried out for the following diseases and exposure to infections:
	Cattle
	Foot and Mouth Disease;
	Enzootic bovine leucosis;
	Brucellosis;
	Warble fly; and
	Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.
	Sheep and goats
	Contagious agalactia;
	Brucella ovis;
	Brucella melitensis;
	Bluetongue.
	Pigs
	Aujeszky's disease;
	Swine vesicular disease;
	Classical swine fever.
	Other ungulates
	Trypanosoma;
	Caprine arthritis-encephalitis syndrome;
	Internal and external parasites;
	Leptospirosis;
	Johnes's disease;
	Malignant catarrhal fever;
	Piroplasmosis;
	Yersiniosis.
	Tests for other diseases may additionally be made if the veterinarian carrying out the post-import check suspects the presence of other diseases.
	The total number of positive test results on livestock imported into Great Britain for the period 22 March 2001 to 21 March 2002 was 14.
	The total number of negative test results on livestock imported into Great Britain for the period 22 March 2001 to 21 March 2002 was 11,207.
	No figures are available for dangerous contacts but all suspicious animals are isolated and placed under movement restriction.
	All figures are provisional and subject to change.

Unpaid Advisers

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the names of the unpaid advisers appointed by her and her predecessors since June 1997, stating in each case (a) the date of their appointment, (b) the duration of their appointment and (c) the project or projects on which they have been engaged.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 25 March 2002
	For details of unpaid appointments made by this Department to task forces, review groups and other ad hoc advisory groups, I refer the right hon. Member to the Answer given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Christopher Leslie) on 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 958W.

Genetically Modified Crops

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the interested parties with whom she discussed the measures necessary to allow for practical co-existence of GM and non-GM crops.

Michael Meacher: DEFRA officials have had preliminary discussions on this issue with the National Farmers Union, the Soil Association, the National Consumers Council, the British Retail Consortium, national bee-keeping groups, Organic Farmers and Growers Limited, the Food and Drink Federation and the Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops.

Organic Farming

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the change in the external costs of agriculture which would be achieved if 30 per cent. of all agricultural land in the UK was converted to organic.

Elliot Morley: It is not possible to make reliable estimates of the reduction in the external costs of agriculture arising from organic farming, however, the Department has commissioned the University of Cambridge to carry out an evaluation of the "Organic Farming Scheme" which will provide information on the environmental impacts of the scheme. We expect this to be completed in April 2002 and it will be published on the Department's website.

Organic Farming

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what powers the proposed new advisory body on organic standards will have;
	(2)  what plans she has to disband the UK register of organic standards; what it will be replaced by; with whom she has held discussions on her proposals; and what representations she has received from the Food Standards Agency on the UK register of organic standards;
	(3)  what powers the proposed new UK accreditation service will have in respect of organic standards;
	(4)  what representations she has received from organic producers on her proposals to disband the UK register of organic standards.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	The consultation period on the Quinquennial Review of the UK Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) ended on 31 March. A summary of responses will be available shortly and will be placed on the Department's website www.defra.gov.uk. The Government has made no proposals on whether the Review's conclusions should be accepted, and no decisions have been taken.

Farm Incomes

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average dairy farm income was for each of the last 10 years in (a) the parliamentary constituency of the Ribble Valley, (b) Lancashire, (c) the North West of England and (d) England.

Elliot Morley: The average net farm income for full-time dairy farms in England is given in the table.
	
		
			  Average net farm income (£ per farm) 
		
		
			 1992–93 29,300 
			 1993–94 34,900 
			 1994–95 30,300 
			 1995–96 36,200 
			 1996–97 30,400 
			 1997–98 19,800 
			 1998–99 11,700 
			 1999–2000 9,400 
			 2000–01 14,000 
			 2000–02 (prov.) 32,000 
		
	
	Source: Farm Business Survey
	1 This information is not available for the North West of England, for Lancashire nor for the parliamentary constituency of the Ribble Valley.

Agricultural Subsidies

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what average payments per hectare from the Common Agricultural Policy's production subsidies are received by (a) non-organic farmers and (b) organic farmers.

Elliot Morley: Subsidies to production are available, either as direct payments per hectare or per head of livestock, or as support to prices through market support mechanisms. No distinction is made between organic and non-organic production for determining the eligibility of these subsidies.
	Data is not available to calculate the average payment per hectare for organic and non-organic farmers.

Environmental Protection

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role her Department has played in discussions relating to (a) the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Environment Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context and (b) the Kiev Ministerial Conference in 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: Responsibility for matters relating to the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (The "Espoo" Convention) rests with the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions. The Department has participated in two preparatory meetings for the Kiev Environment for Europe conference where discussion has focussed on the identification of possible themes and the likely agenda. This includes the possibility of reaching agreement on several protocols under discussion by their respective Conventions, one of which is the proposed protocol on strategic environmental assessment currently being negotiated under Espoo.

Environmental Protection

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role her Department has played in developing and implementing (a) the United Nations Secretary-General's Global Compact Initiative, (b) the UNEP Global reporting Initiative and (c) the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Michael Meacher: (a) The Global Compact was a special initiative by the Secretary-General which is implemented directly with companies. However, officials from my Department remain in touch with the Compact Secretariat in New York.
	(b) The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was launched by the Coalition of Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES). It is now affiliated to the Global Compact. The GRI is a welcome initiative but is most suited to larger companies already experienced in environmental reporting. My Department has, therefore, developed and published jointly with the Department for Trade and Industry simpler guidance which is very similar to the environmental elements of the GRI. These guidelines should help any business to report on their environmental impacts, and have been endorsed by the CBI, which has sent copies to all of its members including all of the FTSE 350 leading companies.
	(c) The Department played a full role in formulating the UK position during negotiations on the revised OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises which were concluded in June 2000. Since then officials from my Department have worked with the UK National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines, based in the Department of Trade and Industry, to help ensure that the Guidelines are taken into account in relevant parts of my Department's work, for example the promotion of the Guidelines to the UK water industry and in preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Environmental Protection

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken in response to the UNEP Governing Council Decision 21/21; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: Decision 21/21 of the UNEP Governing Council in February 2001 established a Working Group to review international environmental governance. The UK funded a meeting of international experts in Cambridge in May 2001 to contribute to the debate. I represented the UK at two meetings of the working Group, and the other three were attended by DEFRA senior officials, I chaired the contact group which agreed the final report of the working group at the Global Ministerial Environment Forum in Cartagena in February.

Environmental Protection

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps have been taken to strengthen UK commitments to multilateral environmental agreements; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: Along with other EU Member States the UK is committed to early ratification of international instruments on climate change, biosafety, persistent organic pollutants and prior informed consent. The UK is fully committed to meeting its global environmental responsibilities.

Forests

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps have been taken to (a) promote sustainable management and (b) strengthen conservation of use of forests.

Elliot Morley: The sustainable management of forests, including conservation, is a cornerstone of our forestry policy, and it was then the main issue discussed at the United Nations Forum on Forests which I attended in New York last month. This event provided an international stage to promote sustainable forest management, and in my speech to the Forum I highlighted the lead being taken by the UK, including our joint work with industry and NGOs, the development of a forest business sectoral sustainability strategy, and the introduction of a UK Standard for independent certification of forests.
	It was, of course, this work on certification which led to the Forestry Commission recently being awarded the World Wide Fund for Nature's Gift to the Earth Award. The UK is, in fact, the only country where the entire state forest area has achieved creditable certification to an independent Standard recognised by the Forestry Stewardship Council. Many private owners are now following suit.
	Sustainable forest management will feature prominently at the World Summit for Sustainable Development later this year in Johannesburg. We are currently working in partnership between government, business and NGOs in the forestry sector to ensure that we demonstrate the progress being made in this country and also press for more action to be taken globally. As part of our preparations for the Summit, we will be publishing a new Statement on Sustainable Forestry. This will be one part of our National Forest Programme, drawing together the actions we have taken since Rio and addressing the challenges for Johannesburg and the future.

Forests

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps have been taken by the Government since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to (a) set goals on environmental protection and (b) improve eco-efficiency and resource productivity relating to forestry issues; and what these (i) goals and (ii) improvements have been.

Michael Meacher: The management, conservation and sustainable development of forests was one of the key issues at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio. The main outcome for forests was the adoption of a Statement of Forest Principles which included a commitment by countries to publish national forest programmes. In 1994 the UK set out its aims for forestry in Sustainable Forestry—the UK Programme. In 1999, we published our strategy for sustainable development for the UK, A Better Quality of Life. This includes a section on forests and woodlands setting out the contribution that forestry can make to meeting sustainable management of forests in the UK. We also facilitated the development of the UK Woodland Assurance Standard for forest certification and environmental labelling of wood products. About 40 per cent. of the UK's woodlands have now been certified, including the entire public forest estate.
	The UK has made considerable progress on forestry issues by increasing timber production and the environmental and social outputs from forests. These outputs are reported in British Timber Statistics and Forestry Commission Facts and Figures, which are in the Library of the House. Following consultation with stakeholder groups and the public, the Forestry Commission will be publishing a new set of indicators of sustainable forestry in the UK. These will make an important contribution to the monitoring processes set out in A Better Quality of Life and the UK Forestry Standard.

Television Licences

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the (a) number and (b) total cost of television licences paid for by her Department.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	The Department does not hold centrally a record of its television licences. Records are, though, held centrally for televisions in the Department's London buildings. For these my Department holds three television licences each of which are priced at £104.00 per annum, totalling £312.00.

Television Licences

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the number of subscriptions to (a) digital terrestrial, (b) digital satellite and (c) digital cable television held by her Department for services in any departmental building from which Ministers work stating for each subscription its (i) cost and (ii) purpose.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	DEFRA Ministers and their private offices operate solely from Nobel House, Smith Square, London. There are currently no subscriptions to any digital services into the building. All cable services are currently provided as analogue.

Warden Bay, Kent

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department has taken to protect the cliffs at Warden Bay, Kent, from disintegration; and what plans she has to use concrete structures to protect the cliffs at Warden Bay.

Elliot Morley: This Department provides funding for capital flood and coastal defence works which meet set criteria but operational responsibility rests with the local operating authorities, normally the Environment Agency and local councils, who decide which projects to promote and their timing. I understand that Swale Borough Council is currently undertaking a scoping study at Warden Bay but at present has no plans for works to protect the cliffs there.

Departmental Policy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how her Department will ensure that the interests of the food and farming industries are taken into account across the range of Government policy.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA's Ministerial team and officials already take full account of the interests of the food and farming industries in developing and delivering Government policy, in liaison and co-operation with others in Government. The creation of DEFRA signalled our intention to deal with and balance the needs of these industries, the wider rural economy and communities, and the urban and rural environment in the round. The Prime Minister and Secretary of State's seminar on 26 March with leaders of farming, food, rural, environmental and consumer bodies exemplified this approach. The seminar served to initiate a comprehensive process of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This process will help inform the construction of a new strategy for sustainable food and farming to be launched this autumn.

Consultants

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many management consultants have been used by her Department since its creation; and how much they have cost.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 7 February 2002
	The information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Consultants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total cost to her Department was of the use of external consultants in each of the last four years.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA came into being on 8 June 2001. The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Consultants

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what has been the value of all payments made under each project heading to (a) Arthur Andersen, (b) Ernst and Young, (c) Deloitte and Touche and (d) PricewaterhouseCoopers in each financial year since 1996–97.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA came into being on 8 June 2001. The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Consultants

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts were let by her Department and agencies for which she is responsible to (a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration in each case.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Christopher Leslie) on 14 February, Official Report, column 564W.

Accountancy Contracts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the contracts agreed by her Department with the five largest accountancy firms since May 1997; and what was the total value of contracts with each.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA came into being on 8 June 2001. The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Stakeholders

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list her Department's stakeholders, as referred to in "Waiting for the Essentials of Life".

Elliot Morley: DEFRA has many stakeholders, indeed our work embraces issues that have a direct affect on the lives of everyone in Britain and many overseas too. In producing "Working for the Essentials of Life" we wanted to produce a statement of our work that was accessible to many people. The document was circulated to over 4,800 businesses, public interest, community, representational and other groups who constitute DEFRA's organisational stakeholders. I have deposited a list of these in the Library of the House.

Beef Exports

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the French Government to remove its illegal ban on beef produced in the United Kingdom.

Elliot Morley: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has repeatedly raised this issue with her French counterparts at Agriculture Councils. The Prime Minister also raised the issue at the highest level at the recent EU summit in Barcelona.
	Action to enforce the Judgment of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) lies with the Commission which wrote to the French Government on 20 March seeking observations on France's failure to comply with the ruling. This is the first stage in a process which may lead to a further ECJ case against France.

Beef Exports

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the PSA target for the level of UK beef exports in 2001 will be met in 2002.

Elliot Morley: The target will not be met for several reasons including that progress towards re-establishing beef export markets has been severely hindered by the Foot and Mouth Disease epidemic and the continuing illegal French import ban. The conditions of the Date-based Export Scheme have also discouraged potential exporters which is why we are pressing for a relaxation of the Scheme requirements to permit establishments to be dedicated to export on certain days rather than full time.

Climate Change

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the parties involved in the Kyoto agreement on climate change have ratified the protocol; and when the remaining parties will complete the ratification process.

Michael Meacher: As at 19 March 2002, 50 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change had ratified the Kyoto Protocol.
	The UK and other EU Member States intend to complete ratification of the Protocol by early June in time for entry into force by the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
	It is not possible at this stage to say for certain which other Parties will ratify the Protocol and when they will complete the necessary procedures. However, for the Protocol to enter into force, 55 countries accounting for at least 55 per cent. of greenhouse gas emissions by industrialised countries in 1990, must ratify. To secure this, both Japan and Russia need to ratify as well as the EU.

Climate Change

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government will ratify the Kyoto protocol on climate change.

Michael Meacher: The UK intends to ratify the Kyoto Protocol in time for it to enter into force by the World Summit on Sustainable Development in September. A European Community decision to ratify Kyoto was adopted on 4 March. This paved the way for the UK and the other EU Member States to complete their own ratification procedures. On 7 March, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs made a statement to the House setting in motion the process of UK ratification. Once the Parliamentary process is complete, the Foreign Secretary will be in a position to sign the ratification instrument. For legal and presentational reasons, the European Community and each of its Member States have agreed to deposit their instruments of ratification with the UN Depository simultaneously. Since entry into force of the Protocol will occur only 90 days after the prescribed number of ratification instruments have been deposited, the aim is to do this by early June at the latest.

Horticultural Labour

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the availability of labour to pick and pack horticultural crops.

Elliot Morley: Growers and packers of horticultural crops have access to labour within the domestic and EU labour markets. In addition growers and on farm packers have access to labour through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) which is operated by the Home Office. Under SAWS students from outside the EU are allowed to come to the UK to undertake seasonal agricultural work between March and November.
	The number of students allowed to enter the UK is governed by a work card quota. The quota for 2001 was 15,200 work cards. However on 29 January my right hon. Friend Lord Rooker announced that the quota would increase to 18,700 in 2002 and to 20,200 in 2003.
	In addition the Government's nationality, asylum and immigration White Paper Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain, published on 7 February, acknowledges that there is a need for short term labour in the UK and in respect to agriculture and horticulture it makes a commitment to review the operation of SAWS to see how the scheme might better meet the needs of those sectors. This review is being taken forward by officials at the Home Office and it will involve consultation with the principal stakeholders in the agricultural and horticultural industries.

Rural Payment Claims

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to accelerate payment of IACS claims.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	I am very mindful of the effects that delays in IACS payments have on the farming community and can assure you that RPA is doing all that it reasonably can to make payments as quickly as possible.
	By the payment deadline of 31 January, 94 per cent. of claims had been paid and by 18 March all processible claims had been paid.
	Agri-environment and livestock payments have also been affected but, although RPA has had to upgrade computer software to reflect regulatory changes on the bovine schemes and to carry out cross-checks on claims where holdings were affected by FMD, we expect to make all the payments within the regulatory timescales. Some advance payments have however been made rather slower than normal.
	Looking ahead the Rural Payments Agency is in the process of modernising the way in which CAP schemes are administered by taking full advantage of more modern information systems and the benefits of electronic service delivery.
	However, this is a major Change Programme and it will be 2004 before most of the new systems and structures are in place, and the benefits can be fully realised.

Animal Health

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of trading standards officers for monitoring the washing of lorries used for the transport of farm animals.

Elliot Morley: The Department has not made any such assessment of the numbers of local authority inspectors. The level of resourcing to meet Local Authorities' duty in enforcing animal health legislation is a matter for the individual authorities.
	Nevertheless, my department has in place procedures for the monitoring of cleansing and disinfection of vehicles at markets and slaughterhouses using the services of the Meat and Livestock Commission and the Meat Hygiene Service who will inform local authorities of any breaches of vehicle biosecurity discovered.
	As we are aware of the need to monitor cleansing and disinfection of vehicles, the department is about to undertake a survey of cleansing and disinfection at markets and slaughterhouses.

Animal Health

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations her Department will make at the Convention on Biodiversity in the Hague on 7 to 19 April about trade in bushmeat.

Michael Meacher: At the previous Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biodiversity in May 2000, the United Kingdom secured agreement for the inclusion of bushmeat in a COP Decision on forest biological diversity (Decision V/4). This requested a subsidiary body of the Convention to consider the impact of, and propose sustainable practices for, the harvesting of non-timber forest resources, including bushmeat.
	The forthcoming COP in The Hague will consider the adoption of the forest biological diversity work programme. This takes forward the issue of bushmeat under the objective of "Preventing losses caused by unsustainable harvesting of timber and non-timber forest products." The United Kingdom will be pressing for action on this objective and for continuing collaboration on the issue between the Biodiversity Convention, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and other relevant members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.

Animal Health

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress of trials to establish the links between badgers and bovine tuberculosis in (a) Worcestershire, (b) Herefordshire, (c) Gloucestershire and (d) Shropshire.

Elliot Morley: Three "triplets", namely A, D and I, of the badger field trial are located in parts of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Trial operations which included surveying for badger activity and, in some trial areas, badger culling were suspended during the foot and mouth disease emergency. Surveying for badger activity recommenced in January this year. Further details of progress in all "triplets" are available on DEFRA's website on http://defraweb/animalh/tb/. No badger field trial operations are being undertaken in Shropshire.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on badger culling.

Elliot Morley: All badger culling which once formed part of the strategy for controlling TB in cattle has been suspended. The only culling presently undertaken is that conducted in connection with the "Krebs" field trial.
	TB in cattle is one of the most difficult animal health problems that we face and the Government is determined to look at the full range of factors, including the role of badgers, that might be involved. The Government has put in place a wide-ranging research programme of which the field trial is part. It is designed to determine once and for all the role of badgers in cattle TB and whether culling them is an effective way of reducing the disease. The trial will provide much other data including the spatial relationship between TB in cattle and badgers.
	By ensuring that future policies to control cattle TB are underpinned by sound science the Government is seeking to ensure that healthy cattle and badgers can live side by side in the countryside.

Biological Diversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the members of the UK's delegation to the Convention on Biological Diversity at the Hague on 7 April and indicate who will be leading the delegation.

Michael Meacher: The United Kingdom delegation to the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on 7–19 April at The Hague will be led by myself. Officials from my Department will stand in to lead the delegation when I am absent from the meeting. The United Kingdom delegation is also comprised of officials and advisers from a wide range of government departments and biodiversity organisations, reflecting both our commitment to the Convention and the breadth of issues covered by the Convention and the agenda to this meeting.

Office Relocation (Scotland)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to relocate executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies under the remit of her Department to Scotland.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	There are no plans to relocate any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies to Scotland.

Fish Farming

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will seek a meeting with officials of the European Commission to discuss the future of the Scottish aquaculture industry and measures which the EC might take to promote the sustainable development of the industry.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	The future of the Scottish aquaculture industry is principally a matter for the Scottish Executive. The Executive has not asked Officials from This Department to arrange discussions with officials from the European Commission on Scottish aquaculture, and no such discussions are in prospect.

Fish Farming

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what investment her Department has made in fish farming in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02, broken down into expenditure headings.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	Departmental expenditure on fish and shellfish farming for the three years in question was as follows:
	1999–2000—£1.9 million;
	2000–01—£1.5 million; and
	2001–02—£1.2 million.
	The bulk of this expenditure relates to research and development work but it also includes relatively small sums paid out under the Agriculture Development Scheme and FIFG Structural Funds.

Fish Farming

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to promote the fish farming industry.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	In March 2000 the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food hosted a seminar entitled "Future Strategies for the Farmed Trout Industry" involving all sectors of the industry in England. That seminar and a subsequent study considered ideas for improving competitiveness including generic promotion. In the light of this, the industry is considering its strategy for future development and we expect to be involved in discussions on this and on how this Department might help the industry to achieve its developmental goals.

Fish Farming

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with other European countries which operate national compensation schemes for losses incurred by fish farmers as a result of the compulsory slaughter of farmed fish; and what information she collates about such schemes.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	To date this Department has had no such discussions; no information has been collated about the operation of national compensation schemes by other European countries.

Agricultural Competition

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she will (a) grant and (b) seek aid under article 4 of the EEC Council Regulation No. 26 of 1962 on rules of competition in agricultural products in respect of potatoes.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	No. The UK potato industry has not sought assistance under this Regulation and we have no plans to offer financial aid to an industry which has traditionally been self-sufficient.

Land Management

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what education and information on land management is given to farmers participating in (a) the Farm Biodiversity Action Plan programme and (b) the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

Elliot Morley: Farm Biodiversity Action Plans are provided commercially by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and are not implemented by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	Education and information about the land management required under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme is provided to farmers through the comprehensive Scheme Handbook and through advice and visits by technical staff from DEFRA's Rural Development Service. Similar advice and guidance is also available from FWAG and other partner organisations.
	To ensure farmers achieve the environmental objectives of the Scheme, very detailed specifications for the different types of land management required are set out in Stewardship agreements.

General Agreement on Trade in Services

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent contributions her Department has made to negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

Elliot Morley: Negotiations under the General Agreement on Trade in Services are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The Department has not played a part in those negotiations, although we have contributed to the UK Government's general position and my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Environment, was present during WTO trade negotiations in Doha last November.

Underspend

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) capital and (b) revenue underspend in her Department is expected to be in the financial year 2001–02.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	Estimated outturn figures for 2001–02 will be published in the Budget Report on 17 April.

User Consultation

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what new steps her Department took in 2001–02 to consult the users of its services about their wishes and expectations; and if she will publish the findings.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	In 2001–02 DEFRA consulted widely on the development of its new aim and objectives. The Department also consulted on a range of issues related to policy development.
	The responses to all these consultations have been published on the DEFRA website at: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/default.asp.

Service Reviews

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of whether the target to review 60 per cent. of departmental services by March 2003 will be met.

Elliot Morley: The Department has reviewed around £200 million of departmental services to date but has reported some slippage, due to the impact of Foot and Mouth Disease and the creation of a new Department. The target will be reviewed as part of the 2002 Spending Review process.

Poultry Welfare

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of changes in the mortality rates which would be achieved by a move from conventional to enriched cages.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	We have commissioned research to improve our scientific and practical knowledge of "enriched" cages; mortality rate is being evaluated as part of this research project.

Property Protection

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what new measures her Department took in 2001–02 to protect its property from theft or damage.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	Further to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 5 February 2002, I can confirm that during 2001–02 the Department continued to ensure that adequate security measures were in place at all its sites. Every effort is made to introduce measures which are proportionate to the degree of risk and the value of assets (ie staff, equipment, information and property) on site. Site security is checked by means of a programme of audits and in the event of an incident, measures would be reviewed and updated as necessary.

Ethnic Minorities

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people from ethnic minorities are employed in (a) her Department, (b) the Countryside Agency and (c) the Environment Agency.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 10 April 2002
	In common with all other Government Departments, DEFRA is currently conducting a re-survey of all staff. As at 15 March 4,889 (70 per cent.) of the core Department's workforce had declared their ethnic origin. Of these 384 are from ethnic minorities. This is equivalent to 7.9 per cent. of those who have declared their ethnic origin, or 5 per cent. of all staff in the Department.
	The Countryside Agency do not at present compile this information, although they are planning to introduce a personnel database in the near future that will hold such information.
	As at 28 March 2002, all bar 109 of the Environment Agency's 10,824 employees had declared their ethnic origin. Of these, 178 (1.64 per cent.) are from ethnic minorities. The Agency has in place a Diversity policy, with action plans being developed to improve the attractiveness of the Agency to members of the ethnic minority communities.

Rural Payments Agency

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to change the levels of pay within the Rural Payments Agency.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 10 April 2002
	Pay increases to staff within the Rural Payments Agency are subject to an annual yearly review and negotiations with the representing Trade Union body.
	For the forthcoming pay settlements in 2002 and 2003 the Rural Payments Agency will adopt the pay settlements agreed by its parent department, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Project Sponsorship

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of her Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.

Elliot Morley: In line with the Government's commitment in its response to the Sixth Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than 5,000 will be disclosed in departmental Annual Reports.

Foot and Mouth

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what lessons have been learnt and incorporated into her Department's standard operating procedures based upon the outbreak of foot and mouth.

Elliot Morley: The independent inquiries put in place by the Government will make recommendations on lessons learned for the future. However, the Department has already taken on board some lessons learned in order to be better prepared should there be any recurrence of FMD before the outcome of the inquiry process. Details are set out in the FMD interim Contingency Plan published on 12 March and in part 3 of the Government Memorandum to the Lessons Learned Inquiry.

Foot and Mouth

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost is of the claims, broken down by company, which remain to be paid by her Department arising from work in connection with foot and mouth.

Elliot Morley: The information cannot be provided at this time for reasons of legal and commercial confidentiality.

Foot and Mouth

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent talks she has had with (a) farmers and (b) the insurance industry about farmers obtaining insurance against future outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Elliot Morley: My officials lead the animal disease insurance working group which includes representatives from both the insurance and farming industries. The group has met on 6 March and is meeting again on 9 April and 8 May.

Foot and Mouth

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to review the application of the 20 day standstill period introduced following the foot and mouth disease outbreak; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 April 2002
	The interim rules for livestock movements, which we announced on 5 February, allow greater flexibility for farmers to move their animals. The 20 day standstill rule has been waived for some types of movement, subject to conditions and we will continue to keep these arrangements under review. However, veterinary advice is that the 20 day standstill needs to remain in place for the time being as a disease control measure. A copy of a document explaining the Veterinary basis for the Interim movement rules has been placed in the Library of the House and is available on the DEFRA website.

PFI/PPPs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the (a) private finance initiative and (b) public private partnership projects which have been delayed.

Elliot Morley: The Private Finance Initiative projects which have been delayed are:
	Pevensey Bay Sea Defences;
	Broadland Flood Alleviation Scheme;
	Brooklands Avenue Cambridge—Redevelopment of office accommodation.
	The Public Private Partnership projects which have been delayed are:
	British Waterways P4;
	British Waterways Water Grid.

Environmental Impact Assessment

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will conduct an environmental impact assessment across the supply chain to assess whether the aggregates levy meets the Government's sustainable development objectives; and if she will publish the results of this assessment in the Library.

Paul Boateng: I have been asked to reply.
	The aggregates levy will be subject to environmental evaluation in due course, as part of the Budget process. Given that the levy was only introduced on 1 April 2002 it is currently too early to assess its impact.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Aggregates Levy

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effect the aggregates levy will have on the ability of SME type quarry operators to compete with large vertically integrated companies.

Paul Boateng: I have been asked to reply.
	A Regulatory Impact Assessment for the aggregates levy was published at the time of Budget 2000. A copy is available in the Library and can be accessed from the Customs and Excise website.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

World Poverty

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards the 2015 targets for reducing world poverty.

Hilary Benn: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Richmond Park on 4 July 2001.
	In addition at the UN conference on Financing for Development in Mexico, the European Union announced a commitment to increase average Official Development Assistance as a proportion of gross national income to 0.39 per cent. by 2006 an increase of $7 billion.

Project Sponsorship

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of her Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.

Hilary Benn: In line with the Government's commitment in its response to the Sixth Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 will be disclosed in departmental Annual Reports.
	DFID projects do not receive sponsorship. We do, however, support other organisation's projects, which may in turn have received sponsorship from other sources.

British Overseas Territories

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on how much aid has been given to the British Overseas Territories in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: The Government's assistance to the Overseas Territories has declined gradually from £52.6 million in 1997–98, when the Montserrat volcanic crisis was at its height, to £39.6 million in 2000–01. The British Virgin Islands graduated last year from the need for our support; and programmes in Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands are now limited to technical assistance. Financial aid, however, continues to be provided for both St Helena and Montserrat. Our ultimate goal, which is shared by the Overseas Territories, is to increase local self-sufficiency to levels where our assistance is no longer required.

Montserrat

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the progress of the aid programme in Montserrat; and what potential threats there are from further volcanic eruptions.

Hilary Benn: Substantial progress has been made, since the onset of the volcanic crisis, in returning normality to life in the northern half of the island. Basic infrastructure and essential public services have been restored; housing has been provided for those in need; and a range of expertise has been supplied in support of Montserrat's efforts to recover from the crisis. The focus now is upon sustainable development and eventual return to self-sufficiency for the island. With this in mind, a new airstrip and measures to attract specialist tourism and private sector investment are under consideration. A new volcano monitoring facility, incorporating special viewing areas for visitors, will be commissioned later this year. The volcano, now scientifically classifed as "persistently active", continues to pose a threat to the southern half of the island, including the former capital town of Plymouth. These areas remain uninhabitable. The risk to northern areas of the island is presently judged to be negligible.

Israel

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 684W, on Israel, if she will list the projects in the area administered by the Palestinian Authority that have been funded by the (a) UK on a bilateral basis and (b) European Union, stating in each case the (i) nature of the project, (ii) funding to date, (iii) funding in each of the last five years, (iv) provisional assessment made against that project of structural and financial damage by Israeli action in the Occupied Territories and (v) amount of financial compensation to be sought; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: An assessment of UK-funded projects has shown only two projects sustaining direct damage. The vehicle provided through our support to the Primary Health Care management-training course at Bir Zeit University was damaged during an aerial attack on Ramallah. The project is the second phase of post-graduate training for primary healthcare managers at Bir Zeit University. The project began in 2000 and to date has spent approximately £1.1 million. In 2000 it spent £0.7 million, £0.3 million in 2001 and £0.1 million so far this financial year. An initial estimate of the damage is approximately £28,000.
	Our project with Save the Children Fund (SCF) in Rafah also sustained direct damage when a community centre funded by the project was hit by Israeli Defence Force (IDF) fire. The aim of the project, and its sister initiatives in Jabalia, Anabta and Dura, is to improve access to potable water, sanitation and environmental health. The project in Rafah began in 1999 and to date has spent approximately £2 million. In 1999 it spent £0.4 million, in 2000 £0.7 million, £0.6 million in 2001, and £0.3 million so far in 2002. The final cost of the damage has not yet been confirmed.
	For information on projects funded by the European Commission I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 March 2002 to Parliamentary Question 46308.
	The conflict and closures have had a major impact on all development projects. The matter of financial compensation has not yet been determined. The local Task Force on Project Implementation (EC, USAID, office of the United Nations Special Co-ordinator, and the World Bank) wrote to the Benjamin Ben Eliezer, Israeli Minister of Defense (25 March 2002) conveying the international donor community's concern in relation to the adverse affects of IDF activities upon project implementation. A meeting is to take place in the near future between the Task Force and Minister Eliezer.

Israel

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the projects in Israel that have been funded by the (a) UK on a bilateral basis and (b) European Union, stating in each case the (i) nature of the project and (ii) funding to date, in each of the last five years; what assessment she has made of structural and financial damage by Palestinian action to such projects; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Israel's level of economic development is relatively high. For this reason Israel is not a recipient of UK or EC development assistance.

Malawi

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support she has provided to agencies working in Malawi to tackle the food shortages there.

Hilary Benn: We have provided £1.9 million since January for direct food relief in Malawi, including grants to non-Governmental organisations which are providing support to 180,000 beneficiaries, mainly children and pregnant and breast-feeding mothers, in the Districts of Balaka, Machinga, Dedza and Mchinji. In addition, in November we provided £3.5 million for nation-wide cash for work programmes and £3.75 million for free distribution of agricultural inputs. Both programmes were targeted at vulnerable households. To help prevent future food shortages, we are working with Government to help prepare a National Food Security Strategy.

Malawi

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the food shortages in Malawi; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: There are severe localised food shortages in parts of Malawi. At this time of year most households depend on the market for basic foods, but grain prices have risen enormously, reducing access by the poor. The maize crop to be harvested from April onwards will provide some relief, but consumption of green maize may have had a significant impact on overall yields and therefore on household food security. Shortages can be expected throughout the 2002–03 agricultural season.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department employs independent auditors to audit the effectiveness of her aid spending in countries in sub-Saharan Africa; and if she will list the countries.

Hilary Benn: My Department employs an Internal Audit function which is organisationally independent from the rest of DFID and is staffed by professionally qualified internal auditors. Internal Audit Department's remit includes reviews of DFID's operations and funding in sub-Saharan Africa. Reviews of effectiveness of aid funding are also carried out by DFID's Evaluation Department and by the National Audit Office.
	The following is a list of sub-Saharan Africa countries in which development funds were used in 2000–01: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether she employs independent organisations to measure the level of corruption in Government to Government aid programmes granted to countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Hilary Benn: No. The Department has strong programme management systems, supported by Internal Audit and National Audit Office scrutiny, to verify that funds are used for the purposes intended and to prevent or detect misuse or corruption in our programmes.
	We fund independent organisations to conduct national corruption perception surveys in African countries which are used to inform governments' anti-corruption strategies.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which country in sub-Saharan Africa she estimates her Department's aid policy to have been (a) most and (b) least effective; and for what reasons.

Hilary Benn: DFID's aim is the elimination of poverty. The UN Millennium Development Goals are the main yardsticks against which we measure progress towards this aim. At country level progress towards development goals is principally the responsibility of African governments, in partnership with the donor community. The international community is working with developing countries, including in sub-Saharan Africa, to promote country-led and participatory Poverty Reduction Strategy processes. These processes are intended to develop national policy strategies, agree priorities, and help to develop an institutional framework in which governments can be held to account by their own citizens. The role of donors is to provide financial and technical support to enhance governments' capacity to develop and implement these strategies.
	Aid effectiveness has improved in recent years, partly as a result of increasing international agreement on how aid can be most effective in reducing poverty and building capacity in the poorest countries. The evidence shows that aid is effective particularly in those countries with good policy environments and where there are large numbers of poor people, and in such situations has been effective in promoting economic development and poverty reduction. In Uganda aid has supported growth (averaging around 7 per cent. over the past decade) with extreme poverty reduced by over 20 per cent. since 1992, to 35 per cent. of the population. In Tanzania, where GDP growth has more than doubled between 1988 and 2001, HIPC benefits, World Bank and donor aid have helped finance primary education, with net enrolment in primary schools increased from 57 per cent. in 1999 to 65 per cent. in 2001.
	DFID's performance against its global objectives, set out in the DFID Public Service Agreement and Service Delivery Agreement, is published in the Departmental Report. DFID assesses its work in each country through an established system of annual performance reviews. However, given our broad approach to development, and the diverse nature of our partnerships, there are considerable technical difficulties in attempting to quantify the impact of particular levels and types of assistance provided by a particular donor on the overall progress towards development in a particular country.
	DFID will publish a Development Effectiveness Report this summer. It will discuss how DFID's strategic, long-term poverty-focused approach can be evaluated, recognising the problems of attributing impact to particular interventions in a context of a broad partnership which is working towards our shared goals of the Millennium Development Goals.

Egypt, Poland and China

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's total spending in (a) Egypt, (b) Poland and (c) China in each of the last five years and her forecast total spending in each for the next three years.

Hilary Benn: The information requested is set out in the tables below:
	
		DfID Programme by country
		
			  £ thousands  
			  China Egypt Poland 
		
		
			 1996–97 30,956 6,299 12,718 
			 1997–98 38,616 7,246 13,337 
			 1998–99 39,189 4,947 7,916 
			 1999–2000 26,260 3,546 4,442 
			 2000–01 29,746 2,661 3,814 
		
	
	
		
			  £ millions 
			  China Egypt Poland 
		
		
			 2001–021 23 2.5 2.5 
			 2002–031 38 4 0.7 
			 2003–041 38 3.5 0 
		
	
	1 Estimated figures.

HIV/AIDS

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's total spending on HIV/AIDS for each of the last five years and her forecast total spending on HIV/AIDS in each of the next three years.

Hilary Benn: There is often no clear distinction between assisting with work on HIV/AIDS and other sexual and reproductive health issues. However, the following is my Department's total bilateral expenditure on reproductive health activities, including HIV/AIDS, from financial years 1997–98—2001–02:
	1997–98 to £38.4 million
	1998–99 to £45.0 million
	1999–00 to £75.7 million
	2000–01 to £124.9 million
	2001–02 to £206.6 million.
	We have also in this period provided funding to support the HIV/AIDS programmes of a number of multilateral organisations, including the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), the European Community (EC) and the World Bank. However, with the exception of UNAIDS it is not possible to determine the portion of our contributions used for HIV/AIDS work as opposed to the other work of these agencies.
	We would expect that over the next three years our HIV/AIDS expenditure will increase above the present level.

Overseas Aid Budget

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of her Department's overseas aid budget was provided to charities and other NGOs for each of the last five years (a) as a percentage of her Department's overseas aid budget and (b) in real terms.

Hilary Benn: We do not compile statistics for aid to charities and other NGOs as such. The following table shows estimated figures for the last five financial years, calculated using the nearest equivalents within the bilateral programme. These figures do not include support to in-country civil society organisations or UK groups receiving funds channelled through multilateral organisations.
	
		
			 £ Million Total Constant Prices 2000–01 Proportion of total DfID expenditure 
		
		
			 1996–97 58 64 3% 
			 1997–98 63 67 3% 
			 1998–99 52 54 2% 
			 1999–2000 63 64 2% 
			 2000–01 101 101 4% 
		
	
	Source: Statistics on International Development 1996–97 to 2000–01

Overseas Aid Budget

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of her Department's overseas aid budget is provided in the form of Government to Government aid grants for each of the last five years (a) as a percentage of her Department's overseas aid budget and (b) in real terms.

Hilary Benn: We do not compile statistics for government to government aid grants as such. The following table shows estimated figures for the last five financial years, calculated using the nearest equivalents within the bilateral programme. These figures do not include support given through mulilateral organisations.
	
		
			 £ Million Total Constant Prices 2000–01 Proportion of total DfID expenditure 
		
		
			 1996–97 396 438 18% 
			 1997–98 354 380 17% 
			 1998–99 409 427 17% 
			 1999–2000 453 462 18% 
			 2000–01 558 558 20% 
		
	
	Source: Statistics on International Development 1996–97 to 2000–01

Burundi

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is being done to improve the co-ordination of humanitarian relief for internally displaced people in Burundi.

Hilary Benn: We think that current co-ordination arrangements are working reasonably in exceptionally difficult operating circumstances. The UN is seeking to strengthen the staffing of its operations and of the joint UN/Government of Burundi working arrangements for addressing the needs of displaced people. We continue to encourage non-governmental organisations and UN agencies to co-ordinate closely together under the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Bushmeat

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with countries in Central and West Africa about the sustainability of the trade in bushmeat.

Hilary Benn: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 837W. DFID has been funding two bilateral projects in Cameroon with significant elements relating to bushmeat. From 1995–2002, the Mount Cameroon Project team worked closely with the Cameroon Ministry of Environment and Forests to establish field level community management of timber and wildlife resources. The Community Forestry Development Project in Cameroon continues to work up these and other field projects into ways for communities to manage their wildlife resources under the Forest Law.

Bushmeat

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if her Department intends to undertake researach on the relationship between wildlife and poor people's livelihoods.

Hilary Benn: DfID is concerned with reducing poverty. We fund and will continue to fund projects and studies that addresss sustainable forest management and bushmeat production where this is key to tackling poverty. Annex 1 lists the main current DfiD activities that have direct impact on wildlife and their habitats.
	
		Annex 1: Examples of DfID-supported bilateral projects, and research and studies, that have a strong focus on wildlife/bushmeat species
		
			 Name of Project Country Period of Support Amount (£000s) 
		
		
			 Mbomipa Community Wildlife Project Tanzania 1997–2001 1,973 
			 Wildlife Intensification for Livelihood Development (WILD) Namibia 1999–2002 1,040 
			 Madikwe Community Wildlife Management South Africa 1997–1999 622 
			 Amboro Rural Development Bolivia 1996–2000 3,200 
			 Mount Cameroon Project Cameroon 1995–2002 10,602 
			 Community Forest Development Project Cameroon 1999–2002 1,049 
			 Indonesian Multi-Stakeholder Indonesia 1998–2005 25,150 
			 Cross River State Community Forestry Project Nigeria 1996–2001 2,000 
			 Forest Sector Development Project Phase II Ghana 2000–2004 11,963 
			 Joint-funding scheme with WWF   6,289 
			 —Gashaka-Gumpti/Kupe Nigeria/Cam 1991–2001  
			 —Coastal forest/Bogoria/Udzungwa Kenya/Tanz 1990–2001  
			 —Kunene/Caprivi Namibia 1998–2001  
			 —Mamiraua/Varzea Brazil 1991–2000  
			 Studies and research:   575 
			 —Livestock-wildlife interactions Africa 1997–2001  
			 —Illegal hunting in Serengeti NP Tanzania 1997–2000  
			 —Bushmeat in rural livelihoods of West Africa Ghana/ Cameroon 2000–2002

Bushmeat

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what analysis her Department has made of the effectiveness of participatory poverty assessments in analysing the importance of bushmeat in people's livelihoods.

Hilary Benn: DFID routinely assesses the effectiveness of the methodologies used in poverty reduction initiatives. Participatory poverty assessments (PPAs) are an important tool used widely in poverty reduction programmes to ensure that decision-makers are aware of poor people's views. DFID is funding research into the linkages between poverty and environmental issues in PPAs. The research to date has focused on the broad management issues relating to livelihoods of the poor, bushmeat included.

Bushmeat

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to raise the subject of the trade in bushmeat with Governments in Central and West Africa.

Hilary Benn: Neither myself, nor the Secretary of State for International Development have any current plans to discuss this issue with governments in Central and West Africa, but my Department will continue to raise these matters where they are relevant to our poverty objectives.

Bushmeat

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what account has been taken of the bushmeat trade in her Department's Cameroon Country Strategy Paper.

Hilary Benn: Our Country Strategy Paper is focused on encouraging the sustainable management of forestry resources, of which bushmeat forms a part. The Community Forestry Development Project is working within the Government of Cameroon to establish community wildlife protocols for sustainable bushmeat harvesting. We are supporting the development of a Forestry and Environment Sector programme, one of the conditions for which is enhanced provision for poaching control campaigns. The programme will include a substantial community natural resource management component.

Wildlife and Poverty Study

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the Phase 1 report produced for her Department by Joanna Elliot entitled "Wildlife and Poverty Study".

Hilary Benn: DFID has undertaken a Wildlife and Poverty Study to identify how best to ensure that poor people's wildlife resources are used for effective poverty reduction. We are pleased with the initial Phase One report and the public interest it has attracted.
	The initial report documents anecdotal evidence of poor people's dependence on bushmeat. It highlights the lack of reliable aggregate data as to the extent of this dependence, the difficulty and expense of collecting that data, given that so much of the bushmeat trade is illegal, and the lack of proven instruments to enable poor people to manage bushmeat resources sustainably.
	Phase Two of the study will focus particularly on the Policy and institutional environment that will improve poor peoples' access to the benefits flowing from the sustainable management of wildlife resources.

Commonwealth Development Corporation

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the required rate of return on investments is from public-private partnerships with the Commonwealth Development Corporation; and what plans she has to reduce this rate.

Hilary Benn: The Government does not set CDC a required rate of return.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of whether the PSA target that 75 per cent. of bilateral country programme resources should be allocated to low income countries by 2002 will be met.

Hilary Benn: A report on progress against this particular Public Service Agreement (PSA) target, and against all other PSA targets set by my Department between April 1999 and March 2002, will appear in DFID's 2002 Departmental Report to be published later this month.

Pakistan

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the flow of refugees from Afghanistan into Pakistan;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the flow of refugees from Afghanistan into the camps in the Balochistan area of Pakistan fleeing economic hardship and tribal instability; and how these problems are being addressed by (a) her Department and (b) the international community;
	(3)  what support (a) the UK Government and (b) the international community are providing to the Government of Pakistan (i) to address overcrowding in and (ii) to provide adequate resources for refugee camps in the Balochistan area.

Hilary Benn: Pakistan has been shouldering the burden of some two million refugees from Afghanistan for many years. In the light of the stabilising situation in Afghanistan, since 1 March 2002, 150,000 Afghan refugees have been able to return home from Pakistan through the joint voluntary repatriation programme established by the Pakistani and Afghan Governments with UNHCR. However, significant numbers continue to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan, particularly into Balochistan province, with 10,000 Afghans crossing in the past week. UNHCR reports the majority are fleeing drought conditions in Afghanistan; some are now discussing returning to Afghanistan.
	DFID has provided £3 million to UNHCR's operations, in response to the current crisis, to support its operations for refugees in the region, including in Balochistan province. This has included technical personnel, material and financial support. At the request of UNHCR, we have provided three relief flights to Iran and Pakistan transporting tents, shelter material and communications equipment. We have also provided a specialist site planner to UNHCR in Pakistan to assist with the setting up of new refugee camp sites. UNHCR and its partners are working to improve the conditions in all refugee camps, including the water supply, sanitation and health facilities in the waiting area at the border. We have also provided £7 million to the World Food Programme's regional programme, which includes food aid support to refugees in Pakistan—7,000 families waiting to enter Pakistan have been provided food rations. In addition we have provided £6 million to NGOs, much of which has been directed towards Afghans in neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, and £11 million to support communities in Pakistan most affected by the influx of refugees. We have also provided £15 million to support the Government of Pakistan in its economic reforms.

Pakistan

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on relations between refugees and the local communities in the Balochistan area of Pakistan.

Hilary Benn: Relations between Afghan refugees and local communities in Balochistan are reported by agencies in the region to be reasonable in areas where refugee communities are established. The current influx of 40,000 new refugees is reported to have increased tensions somewhat in the Chaman border area, particularly over water supplies, but no major incidents have occurred.

Financing for Development Conference

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the outcome of the UN Financing for Development Conference in Mexico.

Hilary Benn: Donors and developing countries committed themselves to a new partnership in the "Monterrey Consensus". Developing countries recognised that they need to set in place the right policies to create an enabling environment for foreign direct investment and for the mobilisation of domestic resources through promoting good governance and pro-poor economic policies. In return donor countries agreed to provide better support for developing country efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by: giving more official development assistance; enhancing aid effectiveness; ensuring better market access for developing countries; providing support to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to negotiate in international trade fora; ensuring that the HIPC process provides heavily indebted poor countries with a genuine exit from unsustainable debt; and taking steps to strengthen the voice of developing countries in the international financial institutions.
	At the Barcelona Council on 15 March, the European Union agreed a package of measures to support the Monterrey Consensus. This included a commitment to increase EU development assistance. The EU average oda/GNI ratio is currently 0.33 per cent., and the EU has committed itself to raise this average to 0.39 per cent. by 2006. The implication of this is that the EU will provide an additional $20 billion of oda between now and 2006, and an additional $7 billion a year from 2006. The Americans followed the EU lead on aid volume by announcing that they would provide an additional $10 billion between 2004 and 2006 and $5 billion a year thereafter. This represents a 50 per cent. increase in US aid. Financing for Development is the first UN Conference that has delivered a concrete increase in oda, and the additional $12 billion a year from the EU and the USA represents a historic reverse in the decline in global oda levels over the 12 years.

New Partnership for Africa's Development

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial commitments have been made to the New Economic Partnership for African Development by (a) the UK, (b) the EU and (c) other OECD donors in financial year 2001–02.

Hilary Benn: The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is not a financing mechanism or an institution that runs projects. Rather, it is an African-owned and led process which encourages African nations to share best practice, undertake peer review and learn from successful experience in building effective states and reducing poverty. It has not yet sought direct funding. Proposals are currently being developed by NEPAD with the assistance of different African institutions in the areas of economic and corporate governance, infrastructure, agriculture and market access, financial and banking standards, and peace and security.

Developing Countries

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department intends to spend in developing countries in each of the next three years (a) as a percentage of her aid budget and (b) in real terms, in the form of (i) Government to Government aid and (ii) aid to charities and NGOs.

Hilary Benn: Revised programme allocations for 2002–03 and 2003–04 have recently been agreed—details will appear in DFID's Departmental Report for 2002. Allocations for 2004–05 have not been agreed pending the outcome of the current Spending Review. I cannot however provide the information requested, as most programme allocations are not made by type of spending.